from him.
At the doorway, she paused and turned. Ever so slowly, she held out her hand to
him. Satisfaction surged though him when he realized that she was inviting him
upstairs with her. She would be his.
Stalking across the room, he didn't pause as he scooped her up into his arms and
took the stairs two at a time.
Chapter Ten
Laurel Rose barely stifled a scream when Stefan pounced. He was little more than a
blur of motion as he swooped across the kitchen, plucked her into his arms and bound
up the stairs. It was as if by simply holding out her hand, she had unleashed a sleeping
tiger.
Even though she didn't consider herself a small woman, he carried her with
astounding ease. The muscles in his chest rippled as he moved and his arms were like
steel bands around her. Stefan was still a mystery to her. He was different. Like her, he
possessed psychic abilities that set him apart from others. But she also sensed his
loneliness, his sheer isolation from the world around him.
She might not know much about this man, but she knew she trusted him. She
intuitively knew that he was hiding much of himself from her, but she didn't fault him
for that as she did the same thing. It was a protective mechanism. He might not be
telling her everything about himself, but what he did tell her was the truth. He'd
surprised her tonight with his easy admission about Karen. She'd half expected him to
lie. It's what a lot of men would have done.
The top two buttons of his black cotton shirt were undone and Laurel Rose couldn't
resist rubbing her nose against the crisp, dark hairs that peeked out from beneath the
fabric. The scent of fresh air, pine trees and earth filled her nostrils. There was
something very elemental and basic about this man that touched her deeply and, for
her, that was all that mattered.
She wanted Stefan Dalakis. She wanted him in a way that she'd never wanted any
other man in her life, in a way she'd never expected to want any man. So whatever the
consequences, she would enjoy their time together with no regrets.
Without any hesitation, he carried her straight to her room and lowered her until
she was standing next to the bed. She gazed up at him and once again she was struck by
the depth of passion in his emerald green eyes. They seemed to almost glow in the
growing gloom. The shadows were lengthening and although it wasn't completely dark
yet, there was a feeling of intimacy around them, as if they were the only two people in
the entire world.
She felt no fear. In fact, there was a growing anticipation firing her blood and her
body. Tonight would change her in some unfathomable way, but she was not only
ready for it, she embraced it.
This man would not be an easy lover. There was a harshness about him that went
straight to his very bones. This was a man who would take what he wanted, but she
had no doubt that he was generous with his lovers. Any woman who gave herself to
him would not come away unsatisfied. But there would be no poetry, flowers or soft
caresses from Stefan. Instead there would be an intensity and an earthiness that would
overwhelm a woman even as it pleased her. He would demand everything from her.
But would he give everything in return?
His eyes never left her face as he tugged the ends of her blouse out from the
waistband of her jeans. His nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons and pushed
the fabric off her shoulders and down her arms, letting it fall on the floor behind her.
Her bra was plain white cotton, unadorned, and she found herself wishing that she had
something silky and lacy to wear for him.
"You look beautiful as you are," he whispered as he traced a finger over the sloping
cups of her bra before stopping at the front hook. "But you would look ravishing in silk
and lace." With a flick of his fingers the bra was open. He whisked the straps down her
arms and tossed the garment aside.
She automatically crossed her arms over her chest, covering her breasts from him.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" It was very disconcerting to know that he
could reach into her mind at will and pluck out her thoughts.
He wrapped his large hand around the back of her neck, caressing it with his
fingers. It occurred to her that he was more than strong enough to snap it with one
quick twist. His features hardened as he scowled at her. "I would never hurt you. My
strength is for your protection." Using his thumb, he traced a line up and down the
slender column of her neck. "As for your thoughts." He shrugged. "I am trying not to
pry, but you are broadcasting loud and clear to me. I cannot ignore such information."
Laurel Rose thought about that as her body continued to react to his slow and
steady caress. He was only touching her neck, but he might as well have been stroking
her entire body. She felt his touch everywhere. Her nipples were hard buds, pushing
against her arms where they were crossed over her chest. Her sex was moist and she
could feel her panties getting wetter with each passing moment as her inner muscles
pulsed in a deep rhythm. Her limbs felt heavy and her mouth was dry. His gaze was
almost hypnotic, drawing her under his sensual spell. He was like some dark sorcerer
seducing her with little more than a look and a touch to her neck.
The slow smile that crossed his face was wickedly sexy and she knew that he'd just
read her thoughts again. "If I am a sorcerer, then you are a witch who has cast her spell
upon me."
She cringed at his words. Witch. She'd been called that many times in her life and it
had always been said with varying degrees of scorn and anger. Stefan stopped her
before she could pull away from him. He reacted so quickly she didn't have time to do
more than think about pulling back.
Grabbing her wrists, he slowly lowered her arms from her chest until her breasts
were totally exposed to him. He licked his lips as he stared at her. A shiver raced down
her spine, making her tremble. Even though she was still wearing her jeans, she felt
more vulnerable than she had last night when he'd had her spread naked on the bed.
"It is just a word." His voice was low, deep and mesmeric as he lowered his head
toward her breast. "Spoken by ignorant fools who do not understand you or your
worth." She could feel his hot breath on the tip of her swollen nipple as his mouth got
closer and closer to her. She swallowed hard, barely able to follow his words. "They do
not matter." He licked the white flesh around the tip, his tongue rough against her skin.
"Nothing matters but this. Us. Now."
Even though she'd been expecting it, when he finally closed his lips over the tip of
her breast and sucked, she cried out. His hands clasped around her waist, his thumbs
rubbing small circles into her torso. Now that her fingers were free from his grasp, she
threaded them though his long dark hair, holding him to her breast, wanting more of
the pleasure he was giving her.
He laughed and pulled away, but before she could protest, he nuzzled his way to
her other breast and began to suckle the swollen mound. As if there was a direct
connection between her breast and her sex, Laurel Rose could feel every pull of his
mouth deep in her core. Her pussy clenched hard, making her aware of how empty she
was.
"No," she moaned when he moved his mouth from her breast and began to kiss his
way down her torso. He ignored her protest and began to taste, nibble and lick his way
down over her flesh. His hands moved to the front of her jeans, quickly opening both
the button and the zipper. Slipping his hands inside her panties, he pushed both jeans
and panties down her hips. The flesh of his hands was hard and calloused against her
skin even though his touch was gentle. The contrast sent goose bumps skating up and
down her legs and stomach.
His tongue swept into her bellybutton, swirling around its depths as he continued
to push her jeans down her legs to her ankles. "Put your hands on my shoulders," he
murmured against her stomach.
She clutched at his shoulders for support as he lifted one foot and pulled off her
sneaker and sock before tugging off her jeans and panties. Then he did the same with
the other foot. Her short nails dug into his shoulders as he placed open-mouthed kisses
on her stomach, moving closer to the soft nest of curls covering her sex.
Her legs opened of their own accord as he rubbed his face against the curls. His
every movement was slow and unhurried even though she could see the light sheen of
sweat on his forehead and hear the harsh sound of his deep breathing.
"Spread your legs wide for me. Open yourself with your hands and show me your
pretty pussy." His blatantly sexual words shocked and excited her at the same time. She
never imagined any man speaking to her in such a way.
He sat back on his heels and waited. She was surprised to realize that he was still
totally dressed and she was naked. The contrast was strangely arousing. She could see
the huge bulge against the front of his jeans and she licked her lips in anticipation. For
the first time in her life, she wanted to do more than just touch a man's penis with her
hand. She wanted to trace the pulsing veins with her tongue and lick a path from root to
tip before taking him into her mouth.
Stefan sucked in a deep breath. His hands, which been relaxed on his thighs,
tightened into fists. She knew that he'd read her thoughts and was excited by them. It
made her feel sexy and powerful and not so out of control.