Buried and Shadowed

  Good. Lord.

  “For tonight.” She refused to give in to his demands.

  “Stubborn female.” His voice was thick with need. “At least, say my name.”

  “Sinclair.”

  He smiled with approval. “My Mira. Are you ready?”

  Reaching up, she grasped his shoulders, her lips parting in blatant invitation. With a growl of approval, Sinclair lowered his head, capturing her mouth in a kiss of ruthless hunger.

  She shuddered, rubbing against his hard erection as she felt his fangs lengthen.

  “Yes.” He grasped her hips, rubbing his cock against her as he planted kisses along the curve of her throat. “Shit. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

  Her fingers dug into his shoulders, not entirely convinced. “Please, Sinclair-”

  “I wanted you from the minute I caught sight of you,” he fiercely interrupted her protest. “Don’t ever doubt that.”

  A moan was wrenched from her throat as he allowed his lips to travel over the curve of her breast, pausing to pleasure her nipple before he was skimming his lips down the soft skin of her belly.

  Her eyes squeezed shut as a sizzling pleasure raced through her.

  “I don’t want to talk now.”

  His used his fangs to scrape her skin. “How am I going to know what you like if we don’t talk?” he teased.

  “I like that,” she whispered.

  “And this?” he asked, once again using his fangs to lightly trace the swell of her hip.

  Her back arched in delight. “Yes.”

  He scooted down the mattress, his hands sliding beneath her thighs. “I love your scent.”

  A blush stained her cheeks, but before she could speak, he’d lowered his head to lick through the dampness between her legs.

  “Sinclair.” His name was wrenched from her lips.

  He chuckled, continuing to lap and nip until her fingers dug into his shoulders.

  “I love everything about you. Your stunning intelligence. Your loyalty. Your courage.”

  She trembled; his soft words as sexy as his skillful touch.

  Barely remembering to breathe, she shook as his tongue stroked the highly sensitive flesh. Reaching down, she speared her fingers in the thick satin of his hair.

  Oh, this was decadent. Gloriously decadent.

  His tongue dipped inside her, thrusting in and out until her hips were lifting in a need for more.

  Grasping her hips to hold her still, Sinclair found her clit, gently sucking as the exquisite pressure began to build.

  “Wild flowers,” he rasped. “And springtime. My favorite season.”

  Not entirely sure what he was talking about, Mira gave a tug on his hair.

  “Sinclair, I’m close,” she gasped.

  “Yes,” he said, lifting himself so he could position the tip of his cock at her entrance.

  Mira felt as if she were on fire.

  She’d heard about nights of wild, animal sex, but she’d never dreamed she would experience something so raw and primal.

  No, she’d always been the sort to play it safe. To choose a lover who was as boring as she was.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight, she was going to drown in the lust that threatened to overwhelm her.

  As if sensing that she was tumbling out of control, Sinclair studied her with a look that made her heart skip a beat.

  It was a gaze that spoke of need and desire and…sheer male ownership.

  Framing her face in his hands, he leaned down to kiss her with aching sweetness. Mira sighed. She’d devoted endless hours to fantasizing about this man and his kisses. Tonight, she intended to savor the reality.

  Her hands explored the fluid muscles of his chest. His skin was warm, silken. A small coating of hair arrowed between his nipples down the flat plane of his stomach.

  Like a light coating of fur.

  With a tiny moan, she gave in to the temptation to lift herself off the mattress to spread kisses over his face before licking her way down the strong column of his throat.

  “I like the taste of you, too, Sinclair,” she whispered as she continued to tease him with tiny nips of her teeth.

  “Shit, Mira,” he growled, his fingers plunging into her hair as he shuddered with pleasure. “You’re going to send me over the edge.”

  Such an Alpha.

  “You’re not the only one who dreamed of this night,” she whispered, moving steadily lower.

  “I...damn, woman.”

  She chuckled. “Say my name,” she teasingly commanded.

  “Mira,” he rasped as she reached the rippling muscles of his lower stomach. “My beautiful, sexy Mira.”

  She gave a throaty chuckle, deliberately rubbing her breasts against his tightly clenched body as she kissed her way down to the head of his massive erection. They gasped in unison as sparks exploded between them at the friction of their naked skin. Heavens above. Had anything ever felt so good?

  Trying not to become distracted by her own desire, she took his cock between her lips.

  His growl of pleasure echoed through the still air, his wolf glowing in his pale eyes. Emboldened by his obvious delight, she stroked her tongue over the very tip, savoring his musky taste. Delicious. Widening her lips, she sucked him deeper into her mouth.

  Sinclair’s fingers tightened in her curls, his breath rasping through his clenched teeth as she took her time to explore every majestic inch of him. She even scraped her teeth down the throbbing shaft, recalling his pleasure in using his fangs against her skin. She was instantly rewarded as a helpless groan of bliss left him. Chuckling, she allowed the tip of her tongue to trace a thick vein back up to the head.

  “Oh…shit,” he breathed as she took him deep enough to feel the tip of him at the back of her throat. “Enough playing.”

  With dizzying speed, Mira felt Sinclair grasp her upper arms, pressing her flat against the mattress as he studied her with eyes gone entirely wolf.

  A flare of intoxicating anticipation shuddered through her.

  She’d never had a male regard her with such absolute, uncomplicated desire. The knowledge that she’d managed to stir his lust to a fever pitch made her nerves tingle with combustible eagerness.

  “You don’t like to play?” she teased. “I was just getting started.”

  Grasping her hips, he allowed the hard tip of his cock to press against the damp heat between her legs.

  She groaned, the sensation of his wide tip slipping just inside her body nearly making her orgasm. Still, he didn’t shove himself home. Instead, his fingers tightened on her hips, and he gazed down at her with eyes that blazed with raw hunger.

  “Next time, you can play all you want,” he said in rough tones. “But tonight, I need to be deep inside you,” he rasped. “I’ve waited so long.”

  The wall that she’d determinedly tried to build around her heart cracked at his low words.

  Oh, hell. She was in trouble.

  “Sinclair.”

  “My Mira,” he said, swooping down to brand her mouth with a kiss of white-hot desire.

  Her lips parted. He tasted of her, and a spicy tang that she knew instinctively was his wolf.

  The realization set off a thrilling burst of excitement.

  This lethal predator could rip out her throat without breaking a sweat, but the fingers that were skimming up her waist were delicately skillful. As if he were afraid he might accidentally bruise her.

  Not that his tenderness lessened the fierce urgency of his passion.

  Sweeping a path of kisses over her face, he nipped at the lobe of her ear before he stroked his tongue down the length of her arched neck. Mira’s nails dug into his shoulders as he tugged her up the mattress, catching the tender tip of a nipple between his teeth.

  Mira’s breath was squeezed from her lungs, her head tilted back at the incessant heat blasting through her. He turned his attention to the other breast, deliberately urging her desire to an edge that made her nearly scream wi
th frustration.

  Okay. Enough was enough. She needed to get him inside her.

  Right. This. Second.

  As if sensing she’d reached the limit of her patience, Sinclair released a harsh breath and slowly penetrated her with one slow thrust.

  Mira squeezed her eyes shut. His hard length was stretching her to the limit, but it was splendid. The sweetest burn.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, speaking directly in her ear.

  “Oh, yes,” she breathed.

  Recognizing he was afraid he might hurt her, Mira deliberately spread her legs wider, allowing him to sink even deeper into her body. He hissed in approval, rewarding her silent plea for more by pulling back his hips and then shoving them forward with a smooth thrust.

  “Yes,” she said, arching her back as he started a slow, steady pace.

  Placing her hands on his chest, she allowed her fingers to rest above his rapidly pounding heart. Again, she was dumbstruck, amazed at the knowledge that she could inspire such an intense desire in this male.

  He was so magnificent. So intensely sexy.

  Catching her gaze, he continued to pump into her body.

  “Say my name,” he panted.

  “Sinclair,” she whispered, wrapping her legs around his hips to meet the quickening pace of his thrusts.

  He snarled in helpless pleasure, making Mira smile with smug satisfaction.

  In this moment, this powerful wolf belonged to her.

  Completely and utterly.

  Refusing to dwell on what it would mean to walk away from him, she concentrated on the exquisite sensation spiraling through her. Oh, she was close. So close. Her soft groans filled the air as her body bowed beneath the strength of her impending orgasm.

  Sinclair tightened his grip, his face buried in the curve of her neck. Then, still driving into her at a furious pace, he reached between them and strummed his thumb over her clit with just the right pressure. A scream was wrenched from her lips as she was catapulted into a shattering climax.

  Quivering in ecstasy, she convulsed around him. Two thrusts later, he cried out with the violent pleasure of his own release.

  Chapter 9

  Sinclair had never thought that he could find paradise. Not in this world.

  After all, his life had been one of stark survival. First with the bastard who’d held him captive. Then hiding alone in the mountains. And eventually, protecting his Pack.

  He understood duty, and loyalty, and sacrifice.

  He’d never understood happiness.

  Not until he’d held Mira in his arms, and felt her soft body melt beneath him.

  It wasn’t the sex. His lips twitched. Okay, the sex had been mind-blowing. But what was making him feel as if he were one of those men who walked around with big, loopy smiles on their faces was the unshakeable knowledge that he’d found his mate.

  This glorious female was meant to be his. Utterly and completely.

  Now, all he had to do was convince her that she belonged with him.

  A task that should have been simple. She’d already admitted that she was half in love with him. And there was no doubt that they shared an explosive physical attraction. But she’d obviously decided that he intended to use and abandon her.

  It was going to take a dedicated effort to convince her that he was never, ever letting her go.

  Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have minded her hesitation. His wolf loved the thought of wooing his female until she was ready to commit. Mating games were a joy to his people.

  But these weren’t normal circumstances, and his animal was restless at the thought of being parted from Mira before he’d managed to fully claim her.

  Accepting that there was nothing he could do to force her to admit that they were meant to share eternity together, he took a quick shower before pulling on his clothes. He paused long enough to send a text to Rios, asking the younger male to prepare Sinclair’s private lair for a guest, before he was silently slipping out of the motel room.

  The sun was just cresting the horizon as he completed a swift sweep around the area, making sure none of the soldiers had enough sense to double back. Only when he was certain that there was no one near, did he make a quick run to a nearby strip mall to pick up breakfast before returning to find Mira still deeply asleep.

  Perching on the edge of the mattress, he studied her pale features and tumbled mass of curls that were spread over the pillows. He wished he could let her sleep. He sensed that she’d been near exhaustion as she nestled in his arms.

  But events were starting to move at a ruthless speed, like a snowball rolling downhill. They had to be ready.

  Leaning down, he brushed a soft kiss on her cheek.

  “Hey, sweetheart, time to wake up,” he said.

  Her thick lashes slowly lifted, her arms stretching over her head.

  “Do I smell coffee?” she asked, arching her back as she gave a noisy yawn.

  He grabbed the cup of coffee, waiting until she’d pushed herself into a seated position, her back pressed against the headboard.

  “Two sugars and one cream,” he told her as he handed her the cup and reached into a white paper bag, pulling out her breakfast. “Plus, a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon.”

  Her eyes widened as she sipped her coffee before accepting the bagel.

  “How did you know?”

  His lips twisted. He didn’t blame her for her astonishment.

  Not even he had realized just how avidly he’d taken note of her every like and dislike.

  Not until he’d finally accepted just how much she meant to him.

  “I noticed,” he said with stark simplicity. “Just as I noticed you’re too polite to say you don’t drink alcohol, and instead of refusing, you discretely pour it into a nearby bush,” he said. The first night he’d approached her had been at a CDC office party. From the shadows, he’d watched as she’d politely taken one glass of champagne after another, only to wander toward the edge of the country club patio and toss it into the neatly trimmed hedge. He’d been fascinated by her innate kindness. “And that you bite your lower lip when you’re deep in thought,” he continued, reaching out to brush his thumb over her mouth. A flush instantly stained her cheeks, her eyes darkening with arousal. “And that you have a secret sweet tooth. And that you prefer your flowers in the garden instead of in a vase.” He bent forward, replacing his thumb with his lips. Back and forth, he brushed their mouths lightly together, his cock twitching at the sparks of pleasure that shot through him. “And that you like when I lick your-”

  “Sinclair,” she breathed in flustered protest.

  He chuckled. Mira was a passionate but shy lover. He fully intended to corrupt her once they were in the privacy of his lair.

  Until then…

  With a groan, he allowed himself one last lingering kiss, savoring the taste of coffee and sweet female temptation.

  “Mm.” He reluctantly lifted his head, his fingers brushing through her tangled curls. Very, very soon he intended to have her straddling his naked body, those curls brushing his chest as he pumped deep into her. Another groan was wrenched from his throat. Damn. He had to put a leash on his fantasies, or they’d never get out of the motel room. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to continue this later,” he said.

  She took a hasty sip of coffee, pretending her heart wasn’t racing, and her body wasn’t heating with desire.

  “I haven’t agreed to continue anything,” she warned.

  His wolf growled deep inside his chest. The animal didn’t comprehend her stubborn refusal to admit what was obvious to him.

  Hell, his human half didn’t fully comprehend.

  “You will,” he said, refusing to accept any other outcome.

  She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching. “Arrogant ass.”

  “Wolf,” he corrected. “Arrogant wolf.”

  “Same thing,” she teased.

  Rare happiness surged through him at the mere sight of the shimme
r in her hazel eyes. Damn. Somehow, the need to ensure that this female was not only safe but also pleased in his company was rapidly becoming the purpose of his existence.

  Which meant the sooner he finished his duty to his people, the sooner they could concentrate on each other.

  “Not even close,” he assured her with a smile. Then, rising to his feet, he pointed at the bagel. “Eat.”

  Obviously hungry, she dug into her breakfast, finishing the bagel and coffee before she headed into the bathroom for a shower.

  Sinclair forced himself to concentrate on cleaning the room, even taking her old clothing to the incinerator at the back of the motel. He wanted to make certain that they didn’t leave any evidence of their brief stay.

  Plus, if he didn’t keep himself occupied, there was nothing that was going to stop him from joining Mira beneath the hot spray of water.

  Twenty minutes later, she came out of the bathroom. She was wearing the gray sweats that had been left by the grizzly the night before, and her hair had been tugged into a tight braid.

  She looked like the young farm girl, who had no doubt arrived in Fort Collins with wide eyes and a belief she was going to do great things.

  “Do you think the SAU has stopped looking for me?” she asked, pulling on her shoes.

  “No. Which is why you’re going to my lair,” he informed her, crossing toward the door. “They won’t be able to find you there.”

  Expecting her to join him, Sinclair frowned as she planted her fists on her hips.

  “What did you say?” she demanded.

  “You heard me.”

  “Fine.” She moved, but not toward the door. Instead, she crossed toward the desk and began pulling open drawers.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m looking for a telephone book.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m calling for a taxi.”

  Sinclair sucked in a startled breath. “Have you lost your mind?”

  She glared at him, the soft, teasing woman who’d gone into the shower suddenly replaced with a stubborn, steely-eyed female who looked ready to sock him in the jaw.

  “Obviously, I have, or I would never have shared a bed with you.”