Therian Prize(22)

“I’d rather wait until—”

He grasped the back of her neck and silenced her with his mouth. The kiss was harsh and unexpected, so she tensed and tried to pull away. He allowed her to struggle just long enough to demonstrate the futility of the strategy. Then he shifted her head into the crook of his arm and slowed the thrust of his tongue. The kiss became patient and tender, coaxing without demand.

“I won’t hurt you, Heather,” he whispered against her lips. “But you are mine now. Nothing can change that fact. You don’t need to be afraid.”

She wasn’t afraid. David had showed her how amazing sex could be. But sharing those intimacies with anyone else felt disloyal and wrong.

Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed. Oddly his sudden show of strength sent excitement zinging through her body. She watched his muscles bunch and flex as he crawled onto the bed and lay down beside her. Strength was vital to Therian wolves. A male must be strong enough to protect and provide for his mate and children. His courage and aggression determined their place in the pack. Her father was network Prime, so she was used to respect and privilege.

“Have you ever had an orgasm?”

Her face flamed at the personal question, but he was looking at her breasts, so it didn’t matter. “Yes.” She’d admitted that she wasn’t a virgin. Why were the details important now?

He lightly pinched one of her nipples and then the other before he looked at her face again. “Did you get yourself off or was it the frat boy your father warned me about?”

She tensed. She’d done everything she could to convince her father that her affair with David was over. After her father insisted that he would never sanction David as her mate, she’d begun planning her escape. Obviously Nate hadn’t believed her.

“I’ve agreed to this alliance,” she whispered, “so my past no longer matters.”

His smile took on a dark edge as he continued to tease her breasts. “Now all I have to do is make you believe it.” He covered her mound with his hand, his middle finger easing into her damp crease. “Look at me.” His fingertip circled her clit as he waited for her gaze to lock with his. “I will touch and taste you until you scream my name and then I’ll fill you so full that you will never think of your frat boy again.”

The image undulated and blurred as if to foreshadow the terror to come. Carlos took his time, triggering her orgasm with his fingers and then his mouth. He’d been selfless and patient but all the while she’d been aware of his true motivation. He was staking his claim on her body, trying to burn away the memory of the man she loved.

Heather tried to resist the seduction. She stubbornly clung to David’s image, refusing to let carnal pleasure erase all they meant to each other.

After her third orgasm, Carlos flipped her over and pulled her up to her hands and knees. He held her hips steady as he pushed his cock into her snug heat. She was wet and ready, at least physically, but her mind—her very being—cried out for David.

Carlos pressed against her back and one of his hands slipped between her thighs. His long middle finger found her clit again and spiked her arousal. Then he pumped with long, slow strokes, dragging his length nearly out before pushing deep again. He was experienced and determined and soon her body succumbed to his skill. She gasped and arched, taking him deeper as her body won the tug-of-war with her mind.

Suddenly he bit into her shoulder and pleasure stabbed into her pussy. She came in hard, fast spasms as he continued to shuttle in and out. She moaned and locked her elbows as lights flashed before her eyes. Something was wrong. She couldn’t catch her breath and her skin felt hot and prickly.

She heard his growl and felt his nails dig into her flesh. She tried to buck him off, to twist away from his aggression. He thrust so hard the momentum drove her forward, flat onto her belly. He came down on top of her, his hips pounding frantically.

“Carlos, slow down.” She reached back to hinder his movements but he dragged her hand away and pinned it to the bed near her head. “You’re hurting me.” Only inches from her face, she couldn’t help but notice that his hand was covered with hair, and long, sharp claws capped each fingertip. He was transforming. “Carlos, please!”

Fear and pain twisted through her and she screamed. She bucked and kicked, fighting off the memories as frantically as she’d fought Carlos, or the mindless creature Carlos had become.

Darkness rolled across her mind and she sobbed in relief. The last thing she wanted was to relive every moment of that night.