“I still have control, just not as much. When a shifter changes, their animal instincts become almost undeniable, especially predators. The urge to hunt becomes especially strong. That’s why you never, ever run from a supernatural being, whether vampire or shifter. Especially a shifter in animal form. We’re predators. Anything that flees immediately becomes prey.”
Ricki nodded. “So, what kind of things do you and your wolf disagree upon?”
Tracking her thought processes was a little like hunting jack rabbits. All over the place and hard to follow. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
She gestured with her free hand. “Well, you said that you might change if your wolf wanted something badly and you denied that part of yourself. Are we talking about craving a Big Mac or chewing on body parts?”
Where in the hell did she get these macabre ideas? Probably TV and movies and other lore fueled by misinformation.
“No, it’s not like that,” I hedged.
Beginning to sound exasperated, she asked “Then what is it like? Give me a specific example.”
As she spoke, my eyes wandered down to her mouth, then her breasts. The wolf stretched inside me, growling, because he liked what he saw and he liked it a lot. Normally, he didn’t give a damn about humans unless he was hungry, but, for some reason, that part of me lusted after this woman. She smelled different. She was different.
She. Is. Mine.
“Right now?” I questioned. When she nodded, I shifted forward, sitting so close to her that I could feel the heat rising off her skin. Her pupils expanded at the whisper of contact. “Right now, my wolf wants to see if you taste as good as you smell.” I let my gaze travel down the rest of her body. “Especially the flavor between your thighs.”
The scent of female arousal spiked around me and I had to close my eyes. Once again, I was dangerously close to losing control. Our bodies brushed as her muscles coiled. Shit, I pushed too far and she was going to run.
When she sprang to her feet, I stood with her, unable to stop myself. My hand grasped the nape of her neck firmly, holding her in place. She gasped, wide brown eyes staring up at me in surprise.
“Don’t move. Please, don’t move.” My voice sounded guttural and harsh and her scent changed. Instead of desire, I smelled something almost as tempting and sweet; fear. Even as the predatory part of my nature demanded that I take down my prey, I despised my reaction. I hated that I was scaring her. I took an unsteady breath. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m not trying to scare you. Just remember what I said; don’t run from a shifter or a vamp. If you run from me, I will chase you. I won’t be able to stop myself.”
Her eyes remained huge as she nodded. “I understand,” she murmured.
Chapter Seven- Ricki
Shit just got real.
As I stared into Calder’s eyes, my heart pounded into my sternum in a ragged rhythm. For the first time since we began our conversation, he looked like the Big Bad Wolf. I wondered if that made me Red Riding Hood.
The crazy thing was that, while I was a little scared, I was also turned on. He was staring at me as though he wanted to gobble me up.
A couple of years ago, I’d had a boyfriend who was into bedroom mind games. Actually, he was into a lot more than that. Being young and curious, I was willing to try something new, but soon realized that I wasn’t suited for the life of a submissive. I didn’t respond well to my boyfriend’s attempts to keep me on that edge between fear and desire or having to call him Sir with a straight face. Apparently, I was being mindfucked by the wrong man.
A wicked thought flitted through my brain and I took a slow step back. I knew this wasn’t a game, but I liked this adrenaline rush. No, I freaking loved it. I just hoped it didn’t backfire.
Calder’s face hardened when he asked, “What are you doing, Ricki?”
I took another step back. This time, he moved with me, following me as though I had the lead in this strange sexual dance we’d been enacting the last hour. I backed up once again, pausing at the low growl that emerged from Calder’s throat.
“I’m trying to put a little space between us, that’s all,” I answered breathlessly. This was a complete lie. Donna had definitely been correct in assuming I wouldn’t be able to resist trouble.
As I retreated across the room, he stalked me, brilliant green eyes glittering like gems. I felt a shiver run down my spine as something ruthless and wild swirled in their depths.
“I told you not to run.” His voice was deep and gravelly as he continued to stalk after me.
I shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m not. I’m walking.”
This time the low, rumbling growl that emerged from his throat shot straight to my groin. The less-than-human sounds he made weren’t as frightening now that I’d spent a little time talking to him.
Without looking behind me, I knew I was getting close to the wall. By the time my back hit the silk wallpaper, my legs were so weak I needed the wall to support my weight. I gasped when Calder crowded into me, his hands gripping my hips. My body jerked as his thumbs massaged the muscles around my hipbones. I had no idea how sensitive I could be there.
“What game are you playing here, Ricki?” he asked, his hands squeezing my pelvis.
I shook my head. “Games are for children.”
“You realize there’s no turning back now, don’t you?”
Oh God. I felt as though an electrical shock surged through my body. What had I gotten myself into? What began as a casual flirtation was now rapidly morphing into something so overwhelming that it almost frightened me. I didn’t have a chance to fully comprehend what he meant because he used his grip on my hips to lift me so that we were eye-to-eye. I gasped and clutched his shoulders at the unexpected movement.
Within seconds, my upper back was pressed against the wall, my legs were wrapped around his waist, and I had a long, hard werewolf erection exactly where I needed it. Well, it would have been exactly where I needed it if we were both naked.
Calder tangled his left hand in my hair, tugging my head back. I expected him to kiss me, but he didn’t. Instead, he lowered his face to my neck, nibbling and sucking at the skin a few inches below my ear. My earlier words echoed in my ears. I loved it when my partners marked me and it seemed he was the type of man who listened. Maybe this wasn’t a bad idea after all.
I felt a slight tug at the front of my corset and looked down to see Calder’s fingers slowly pulling the laces free of the loopy bow I’d tied earlier. Since the bustier could be worn either way, I’d chosen to put the fastening in the front so I could tie it myself. Nothing more annoying than having to ask for help dressing myself, as though I were four years old.
My breath hitched as he slid a finger behind the criss-cross pattern of the leather cord that held the garment together. Considering how demanding his mouth had been earlier, it shocked me that he took his sweet time tugging each lace free. The sensation of his finger brushing my sternum and the inner swells of my breasts made my nipples tighten further. By the time he reached the halfway point, I was ready to demand he tear the fucking thing off me.
As though he read my mind, he finished pulling the strips free with a few sharp jerks. No longer tied together, the leather fell from my torso to the floor with a thud and I took my first deep breath since I’d put it on hours ago. The shirt I was wearing beneath it was so sheer it was practically transparent.
“Fuck me,” Calder muttered, his eyes glued to my breasts. “Your tits are incredible.”
His dirty mouth only amplified the heat that gathered between my thighs. I usually hated crude words but, coming from his lips and in that rich, Southern-accented voice, I wanted him to keep talking.
Instead of yanking the shirt from my body as I expected him to do, Calder lifted his hands and pulled the material taut across my breasts, revealing exactly how tight my nipples had become. His thumbs stroked over the areolas through the material, which only intensified the sensation. I began to pant as
Calder lowered his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth.
“Oh my God.” The words left my throat on a moan. Whatever he was doing with his mouth felt fan-fucking-tastic.
I squirmed restlessly as he switched his attentions to my other breast. When he lifted his head, my shirt clung to my skin, the damp fabric revealing every detail.
Dropping to his knees, Calder slowly unzipped my boots and tugged them off. His hands traveled over my snug suede pants from ankle to hip. When he reached the tops of my thighs, his thumbs met directly over my center.
“I can feel how hot you are through the fabric,” he growled. “Are you wet?”
I stared down my body at his fierce expression and did something I never do; I let all those naughty words I usually held back spill from my lips. I spread my legs, planting my feet shoulder-width apart. “Feel for yourself.”
His reaction was immediate and aggressive. Calder snarled and yanked so forcefully on the buttons of my pants that more than one popped off and rolled across the room. I almost lost my balance as he roughly peeled the tight material down my legs, leaving me in only my long shirt and black g-string panties. My body jerked when he tore the tiny panties from my body.
His hard, callused hands shoved my thighs apart, sliding behind me to cup my ass, both lifting me from my feet and holding me open for his perusal. He moved forward so that my legs hooked over his shoulders. I couldn’t believe how strong he was and it ramped up my arousal.
“Jesus fucking Christ, you’re bare.” He sounded surprised. Apparently, she-wolves didn’t like to go Brazilian.
Before I could formulate any sort of verbal response, he set about devouring me. That was the only way to describe the single-minded way he licked, sucked, and kissed my pussy. I knew I was moaning loudly, but couldn’t bring myself to stop. Instead, I buried my hands in his thick, golden brown hair and held on for dear life as the climax swelled within me, threatening to overtake me.
His talented tongue found exactly the right spot and my back arched away from the wall, pressing me closer to his face. He growled and continued to attack that sensitive area with his tongue. In less than a minute, one of the most intense, toe-curling orgasms of my life detonated inside me.
My entire body bucked and shuddered as wave after wave of pleasure washed through me. Calder’s mouth gentled, slowly bringing me down from a release so sharp it hurt. Somehow, despite my wild movements, he’d managed to keep his grip on me.
Calder nuzzled my inner thigh, nipping the skin hard enough to leave a mark. Still hyper-sensitive from my orgasm, I whimpered and tried to pull away. He moved his arms, letting my legs slide off his shoulders. Gradually, he lowered me until my feet touched the floor, then he stood.
His eyes shimmered with heat as he stared down at me, licking his lips. “You taste like sugar.”
With those four words, the desire that had just been sated roared back to life. Judging by his wicked smile, Calder knew it too.
It seemed my night had just gotten started.
Chapter Eight- Calder
I looked down at Ricki, trying to decide what I wanted to do first; pin her back against the wall and fuck her or drag her over to the sofa, bend her over, and ride her until she screamed.
While I was trying to decide, she reached out, grabbed two handfuls of my shirt, and literally tore it open, scattering buttons across the floor. Fuck it, the couch was too far away and the wall was right here. I shrugged out of the material as her hands smoothed down my chest and abdomen to my belt buckle. When she struggled to unbutton my pants, I brushed her hands away and took over the task. Vaguely, I heard the denim rip, but I didn’t give a shit. All that mattered was that I get inside all that sweet, wet heat between her thighs as soon as possible.
She shoved the jeans down my legs, kneeling as she did, then she laughed. Not exactly the reaction a man hoped for when a woman saw his dick for the first time.
Brown eyes sparkling, Ricki looked up at me. “You’re not wearing any underwear.”
I shrugged. I had no fucking clue how to respond to that. Most shifters didn’t bother with underwear, even the females. One less thing to remove before we changed.
Her expression grew sultry. “It’s sexy.” Her voice had deepened and her mouth was so close to my hard cock that I could feel the heat of her breath and the vibration of her words on the tip.
Unable to control it, my dick twitched at her words. I was no longer thinking straight because I said something I never would have said to a she-wolf. “Use your mouth on me,” I commanded, grasping my erection and pointing straight at her.
When she only stared at me, one eyebrow cocked, I had a moment of panic. Oh shit. I hoped human women were a little less....bloodthirsty than she-wolves. Demanding oral sex from a female shifter was like asking to be neutered. Without anesthesia.
Before I could stammer an excuse or an apology or something, Ricki leaned forward. My heart stopped as her hot mouth closed around the tip of my dick. When she took me all the way to the back of her throat, I slapped a hand against the wall in front of me to keep from falling over.
“Oh shit.” I nearly choked on the words.
Taking her time, Ricki tightened her lips around me, increasing the suction. She wrapped her hand around the base, gripping me firmly, exactly how I liked it. As her hand stroked my cock in time with her mouth, she added a slight twist of her wrist with each motion and hummed in the back of her throat. My body went rigid as I found myself on the verge of coming in her mouth like a randy teenage boy.
“Oh shit.”
As much as I liked what she was doing, we would, without a doubt, have to revisit that later. Right now, I wanted my cock balls deep in another part of her body so I could play with her fucking gorgeous breasts and use my mouth and teeth to leave marks that would take days to fade. I wanted her to look in the mirror and remember who fucked her, who she belonged to.
Mine.
The possessive whisper from the wolf inside me echoed in my brain. Somehow I managed to be gentle as I cupped the back of her head and guided her mouth away from me. What happened next wasn’t gentle.
I pulled her up, lifting her off her feet, and shoved her back against the wall. The new position put her heavy breasts even with my face, a temptation I couldn’t resist. I sucked one hard nipple into my mouth, laving it with my tongue. Ricki released a throat moan and thrashed in my arms. I angled a hand between us, sliding my fingers across her clit and straight into her pussy. Her legs tightened around my hips. When I moved my mouth to the inner curve of her breast and bit her hard enough to leave a mark, her muscles gripped my finger tightly and, though I hadn’t thought it possible, she grew wetter.
“Calder.”
Goddamn but I loved the way she said my name. Pressing my mouth to her sternum and licking a line between her breasts, I demanded, “Say my name again.” When she didn’t, I crooked my fingers inside her and rubbed firmly. I didn’t have to tell her again.
“Calder!”
Her entire body tensed and her muscles clamped down hard on my fingers. I knew she was close, but I wanted to be deep inside her when she came again. I wanted to feel her squeeze my cock like she squeezed my fingers just now.
I removed my hand and she shook her head. “Don’t stop,” she moaned. Her eyes widened when I lined up our bodies and began to slide inside her. “Stop!”
What the hell? I paused. Did she seriously expect me to put her down without fucking her blind?
“Condom,” she panted.
Oh thank Christ. I nipped at her nipples, relishing in the tremors that shook her entire body. “No need, darlin’. Shifters can’t get diseases.”
Her expression turned fierce. “Yeah, but I’m sure they can knock people up.”
“Only if those people are ovulating,” I retorted, “which you are not.” I couldn’t believe she was able to speak, much less think rationally.
She scowled at me and shook her head again. Shit, why the fuck was I arg
uing about this when I could be inside her? I managed not to drop her as I shifted her weight to one hand and reached down for my fucking pants with the other. I was pretty sure I had a single rubber in my wallet. I never needed them except when the she-wolf I was fucking was in heat.
Growling under my breath, I snagged the condom and let the leather wallet drop to the floor. Tearing the foil packet open with my teeth, I rolled it on with one hand. I hated the feeling. I wanted to be inside Ricki, nothing between us. She was mine. I shouldn’t have to wear a goddamn rubber.
Still, I couldn’t deal with the alternative, so I would wear it and take everything I could get from her.
Her hands gripped my shoulders, nails digging into my skin hard. I fucking loved it. I shifted her weight again and pressed my cock against her pussy. This time, her lids lowered and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip. As I lowered her slowly, only giving her an inch at a time, her head lolled back against the wall, a long, low moan escaping from her mouth. I knew she didn’t realize what she’d done, but by presenting her neck to me, she was showing me submission. In fact, she-wolves never exposed their throat to a male unless they wanted to be marked and mated.
Despite knowing that Ricki had no idea what she was offering me, instinct took over. I felt my teeth lengthen in my mouth, preparing to sink into that smooth flesh, to mark her as mine. Wedging her body against the wall, I fucked her slow and hard, angling my hips to slide my cock over her clit with each thrust.
I knew she was close when her body tightened around me almost to the point of pain and her nails drew blood as she raked them down my shoulders and arms. I slammed my hips into hers, grinding, then repeating.
“Oh God,” she groaned.
“Go ahead, darlin’. Come on my cock. I want it.” I reached up with one hand and tugged on one of her nipples firmly, twisting slightly.
That’s all it took. It seemed she hadn’t been exaggerating when she said she liked a little pain with her pleasure. Throwing her head back, Ricki arched and thrashed in my arms, crying out.