Predator's Claim Read online

  “Careful,” he warned, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard it, a rich caress.

  She reached behind her and grabbed the first thing she felt on the dresser, bringing it forward to act as a sort of shield. God help her, she needed something between them if she was to retain any sanity. She looked down and a nervous laugh escaped her. “Potpourri. That’s nice.” She lowered her head and sniffed it like an idiot. “I thought I smelled apples and cinnamon in here. It’s a little girly, but still a homey touch.”

  As his eyes devoured her, Bart pried the potpourri jar out of her clawed hands and put it back on the dresser. So close, his legs between her splayed ones, he leaned in and smelled her neck, his arms closing her in. “You seem nervous, Charles.” The tip of his tongue darted out and flicked at her skin, and she groaned as he did.

  “Who me? Nervous?” Her voice sounded as smooth as a ride on a highway full of pot holes. “You know me. I don’t get nervous. It’s just sex.” Even still, she maneuvered away from him a little and reached out for a wad of clothing on his dresser, finding one of his shirts. Needing a break from his intense scrutiny, she threw it over her head and eased it over her body. There, much better. She could breathe now.

  He pulled away a bit more, making her regret her moronic outburst and the loss of his magnificent tongue. He frowned at her, and she fancied she saw the telltale amber glow of his wolf in his dark eyes again. “Just sex, huh?”

  “Yup.”

  For a long moment, Bart just regarded her in curiosity. Under his harsh scrutiny, she broke out in a cold sweat and swiped at her upper lip in annoyance.

  “Well?” she demanded.

  “Oh, nothing. You just continually amaze me with your ability to ignore what’s right before your eyes. It makes me a little sad, Charlotte.”

  “Is that right?” Her defense mechanisms flared and her voice came out sounding defiant, even to her own ears.

  His eyes narrowed and the slightest curl teased his upper lip. Right now, he resembled the cocky man who’d first kissed her in the pub coatroom, the one who’d promised to make her wear his cum. And taste it. Oh, fuck. Just remembering his outrageously sexy words had her drenching her panties. Or at least, she would have if she’d been wearing any. “I’m just saying what I feel. It’s what you wanted me to do, right?”

  “Right. There’s no reason we can’t act like adults here.”

  “Absolutely.”

  He put his finger to the tip of her nose and slowly traced it down to her lips, chin, and neck, leaving a trail of goose pimples in his wake. As he continued his incredible one-finger assault, edging over the length of her neck, her skin came to life and she shivered. As he reached her chest, and the shirt that covered it, he slowed his pace and she heard a tiny crack. She looked down and saw he’d allowed one wolf claw to poke through his skin. Catching her breath, she looked back at his face and saw him grinning at her. In that moment, his claw sliced through the front of the cotton shirt. He cut through the fabric, as easily as a hot knife slicing through melting ice cream, and she sucked in a breath at his power. As soon as he reached her abdomen, his claw retracted and his soft finger explored the skin around her belly button ring.

  “Now,” he whispered. “Are you going to stop talking shit at me and take off the remains of my shirt, or do I have to do it for you?” He glanced at her bare stomach and lower, licking his lips at the sight of her pussy.

  “I’m not talking shit at you, Bart.” She swallowed, on the verge of tears again, willing him to understand so she wouldn’t have to explain.

  He breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. “What am I going to do with you, huh?” He cupped her face and then slowly moved his hand to her chest again, sliding it inside the ripped top, cupping the fullness of her breast.

  Charlotte fought the urge to swoon as he tweaked her nipple, and suddenly wished she could feel that claw again, and all over her body. Marking her, scarring her, leaving his physical imprint in all the places where he’d already left his spiritual imprint.

  With his other hand, he grabbed her ass and pressed her against his hard length. His unbelievable cock scored her belly, and she gasped at his length and thickness. As her mouth opened, he kissed her, opening her up and taking possession of her mouth. She moaned, feeling she ought to resist in some way, but her body had already accepted him, and her tongue had already tangled with his. His talented tongue played and explored, electrifying her lips, and she realized immediately how much she wanted him there. Between her legs. In her mouth. All over her.

  It had already become hard to fight their attraction after seeing him care for his pack with such authoritative hands. Now that those hands were on her…well, she doubted she had any fight left in her. And knowing a criminal was possibly gunning for him made her insane with a worry that wouldn’t be tramped down.

  He must have sensed her inner turmoil, and ended their kiss. He panted, out of breath, and so did she. His gaze locked on hers, he smoothed his hands all over her torso, making an utter mockery of the torn shirt that still hung from her shoulders. He caressed her ribs, played with her belly button ring, and smoothed his hands all over her breasts. She bit her lip, reeling from pleasure, and small grunts erupted from the back of her throat. He felt so good.

  And still she couldn’t abandon herself to him, knowing how wrong it was. One day, she’d walk out the door and break his heart.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice cracking. “I don’t know what’s going through your head, but let me say this. None of it matters. All that matters is you and me together in this room. And I need you so much, Charlotte. You have no idea.”

  And just when she thought the gravity of the moment had claimed him, he twisted her nipple, making her writhe in ecstasy.

  Okay. A girl can only fight so much.

  “My little wolf likes it rough, doesn’t she?”

  She could barely nod her head, but she managed a dip of her head, and he grinned in acknowledgment.

  “Well,” he drawled, his mouth at her neck. “I won’t ever hurt you, but I’ll make sure when you come, it’ll be the most explosive, most baffling orgasm of your life. Charlotte, I’m going to make you forget every other man you’ve ever been with.” His voice grew more clipped, savage. “I’m going to wipe those shits from your memory bank so that every time you try to come up with one of their names, mine will appear instead.”

  She stared at him in awe. Sure, she’d always suspected Bart didn’t appreciate how she flirted with men, but she’d never dreamed his feelings ran so deep. All of a sudden, she regretted her history, every sordid moment. And more than anything, she wanted to do the same to him. She needed to make him forget his past liaisons like she needed oxygen.

  He ripped the remains of the shirt from her shoulders and off her arms. For a moment, he gawked at her bare torso, seemingly transfixed, and then he took her mouth once more. As she returned his kiss with a newfound energy, she explored his body, so beautifully toned and chiseled. Muscled in all the right places, slightly hairy, with the most intriguing ripples cascading over his abdomen. With a hushed cry, she ran the tips of her fingers over his abs, and he let out a string of curses.

  “Fuckdamnshitpisshell!”

  “Hey,” she laughed. “That’s my word!”

  “It’s mine now,” he said with a shudder.

  When she saw the impact her touch had on him, Charlotte was struck with the need to fulfill his every fantasy, to make his most perverted wishes come true, so he’d never forget her. Her pussy ached at the thought, and she fought the urge to smooth her fingers over her swollen mound. “Bart,” she whispered. “I’ll do anything. Tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”

  His black eyes widened and his lips grew thin. “I want,” he ground out, “to see you touch yourself.”

  Without a word, wanting so much to give him what he needed, Charlotte sat on the bed. She lay back, sighing as the cushiony covers welcomed and warmed her. He kneeled before her on the floor at t
he edge of the bed, his gaze on her lower half. She spread her legs and he situated himself between them, his jaw clenching with clear need. Her sex completely exposed to him, he stared at her in awe.

  Without touching her himself, he commanded, “Touch your pussy.”

  As he breathed in her scent, Charlotte grazed her middle finger over her labia. Shocked at her wetness and state of arousal, she continued to move her finger in a slow circle and sighed at the delicious ruffle of sensation fluttering through her. While he gazed at her, his eyes crinkling with obvious wonder, she grew bold and slid one finger inside her core.

  Even as she gasped in delight, Bart shook his head. “I didn’t tell you to finger fuck yourself, sweetheart. Take it out again and wait for my command next time.”

  In a moment of heady confusion, the old, pert Charlotte showed herself. “Command? Since when do you command me, big boy?” In defiance, she thrust two fingers inside herself.

  He looked up and his growl reverberated through the room. “Right here, right now, you bet your sweet ass I do. Now take out those fingers and turn over.”

  And for some weird, out-of-body reason, she did. Charlotte slid her fingers from her pussy and rolled onto her stomach. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect next, but it certainly wasn’t the three hard slaps he delivered to her ass, shocking her into awareness. “Huh,” she grunted. “Who would have guessed? Bart Cairo, a kinky man.”

  He leaned over her body, his chest hairs tickling her bottom, and licked a path from her spine down to her ass. “You don’t know the half of it, baby. I’ve had a long time to imagine how to play with you. Believe me, I made good use of that time.” He eased her onto her back, and her skin tingled everywhere he touched her. “But for now, we’re going to start easy. I want to taste this beautiful pussy.”

  Clenching in anticipation, wanting him so badly, Charlotte opened her legs to him once more. However, he didn’t bury his face between her legs as she expected. Rather, he ran a finger over her shaved pussy, flicking gently at her clit. “Bart, please.”

  “I don’t want you to shave all your hair off anymore, Charles. I like a little bit of hair down there on a woman.” He tortured her clit, squeezing it and plumping it. “I don’t want you to look like a little girl. I want to be able to tug your hair and play with it. And when I fuck you, I want to feel a red-blooded woman beneath me. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, bereft of words. No man had ever made such a request, and she was titillated by the novelty. Most of them wanted their women bare.

  “Good girl.” He grinned and slapped her pussy as a reward, causing sweet sensation to rock her body. Before she’d recovered, he planted his face between her thighs and sucked. As his mouth claimed her most intimate skin, reducing her to a jangled, messed-up ball of nerves, her first orgasm ricocheted through her system with rocket-like force. Charlotte screamed as his wolf tongue pillaged her, tormenting her clit with abandon and sliding deep inside her. Frenzied emotions rattled through her heart as he nibbled at her lips and seized her soul. And just as the tumultuous waves began to settle, he began another slow series of licks and tugs. Within minutes, another punishing tsunami rolled through her, catapulting her into total euphoria. And all she could do was squeal and shake her head on the bed, because she’d never felt anything so devastating.

  Ruined. She was ruined already. “Oh, God,” she moaned in lusty despair. How would she ever walk away now?

  And just when she thought he was done, Bart loomed over her and tapped her pussy a few times. With each merciless slap, shocking feeling radiated into each limb, making her see stars.

  “How many times do you think I can make you come, baby?” he teased with a grin. “Whatever the number is in your head, double it.”

  “Please stop,” she cried, strangled by strange emotion.

  “Really?” Bart stood and began to casually stroke his cock. It seemed to thicken and lengthen with each methodical touch, and her mouth filled with saliva. Would her hunger never end?

  Shit, he’d done that to her and he hadn’t even put that thing in her yet? What would he do when he was fully seated inside her? The possibilities boggled her addled mind.

  He continued to palm himself and closed his eyes, clearly caught up in the moment. Charlotte stared in shock and awe at the enormous head and the veins throbbing on the impressive organ. There was no way in hell she could accommodate that thing without breaking in half. She inched back on the bed, so aroused and yet so afraid.

  He opened his eyes, cocked his head, and offered her a grin that might have looked friendly if he’d had his clothes on. “Do you still want me to stop, Charles?”

  Horrified, she heard her whisper pass her lips. “No.”

  Bart grabbed her legs and dragged her to him as he stood at the edge of the bed. He touched his thumb to her still-sensitive seam and inserted it with a slow thrust. “This is one of those moments when I thank God we’re shifters and immune to human disease. No condoms for us. Nothing is ever coming between us. When I take you, sweetheart, it’s going to be skin-on-skin, and nothing but. I’m not going to lock inside you, so you don’t need to worry about getting pregnant. Are we on the same page?”

  A tear slipped from between her eyelids but she closed her eyes so he wouldn’t see it. She nodded, once again made mute by his words and actions. What was this travesty of sensation inside her? Why did it run so deeply? She didn’t understand.

  When she opened her eyes again, he’d removed his wonderful thumb and slid his head along her moist entrance. He crawled up on the bed and arranged her legs over his shoulders so he had maximum access to her pussy. Little by little, he coaxed his head between her lips. She gasped at the sensation of being stretched to her limits. And God, he’d barely touched her.

  His chest rising with sharp intakes of breath, he eased himself in and allowed her to accommodate his full length. “Ah, fuck! Christ, woman, you feel better than I ever imagined.”

  She moved her hips against him, trying her best to alleviate the delicious pressure building inside her, but it was no good. Her every move only served to egg him on, and he began to move with slow, measured thrusts. As if she was a virgin again, Charlotte cried out as he plunged deep inside her, claiming her body with his heat, scrawling his name on her heart. Somewhere in her madness, she saw his wolf penetrate hers in a flurry of fur and wild nips. Bart scratched at her hips as he held her in place and pounded away at her, delivering a pleasure so intense it could have been persecution. As insanity toyed with her mind, her pussy squeezed him and she began to tumble from her precipice.

  “Hey, baby,” he taunted. “Wolf got your tongue?”

  Just like that, she unraveled and screamed in bliss. And as she did, he drilled into her like a machine until he panted and shouted on top of her. He was on the verge of shooting hot lightning into her core and she wanted desperately to soak it up, wanting him inside her. But before she could milk him further, he pulled out and finished outside her body.

  Charlotte watched in a daze as he jacked off to produce a tantalizing stream of white desire. Licking her lips, she witnessed the marvel of a wolf man’s penis enlarging for the purposes of mating. Bart’s cock swelled, looking so pink and sore, and he cursed as he soothed it with a touch. If he’d remained inside her, his penis would have “tied” to her, locking him inside her to ensure insemination, just like wolves in the wild. Locking inside a woman didn’t always guarantee pregnancy, but no wolf worth his salt would take it for granted.

  And for some reason, seeing him endure the process outside her depths made her feel lonely and sad.

  After a few moments, he rolled over and faced her, his cock looking thick and ponderous as it rested on his hip. He pulled her into his arms. He pushed her damp hairs away from her face and kissed her gently on the lips. “Are you okay? That was…intense.”

  She nodded. “I’m fine,” she said, wanting to say so much more, but emotion robbed her of any other speech she’d prepared in h
er head for this moment. She motioned toward his angry-looking manhood. “What about your…?”

  “It’ll go down in a bit. It’s uncomfortable now, but after a few minutes, I’ll be fine.”

  “Do you want my mouth?”

  His face went white with renewed desire. “No. I mean, yes, that would be incredible, but not right now. In this state, I wouldn’t be able to handle it and I’d need to be inside you again. I don’t want to get carried away and make you pregnant.” He offered her a sweet grin that had the girl in her swooning. “But you can suck me off anytime you want, sweetheart. In fact, I might insist on it in the near future.”

  Before her face betrayed her, Charlotte rolled over and Bart pulled her into a spooning position. His still-engorged cock prodded her back, making her wet with desire again. How was it she wanted him again, after such a manic display of carnality?

  You utter fool.

  She’d hoped sleeping with Bart would help her answer some questions, and draw a line through their relationship. But she realized, with ever-increasing dread, it only made her want to stay in his arms. Not only did she have no answers, she could barely recall the questions anymore. As desperation seized her soul, she tried to focus her thoughts and remember her obligations and the path she’d created for herself. And yet, now that he’d really touched her, now that he’d proven he could master her body, she stared ahead as if through fuzzy, myopic lenses.

  And through it all, her wolf howled, so clear in its intentions. So transparent in its desires. The animal let out another cry, expressing its delight and its need to be ravished yet again, as if Bart’s wolf was its very destiny.

  Was he her destiny? It sure felt that way when they clung to each other in bed, naked and vulnerable, with nothing between them. She’d felt the prodding hand of fate when she’d lain with Bart, their hearts beating in time. And when they kissed, savage and tender at the same time, she’d dared to hope he could be her future.