With her gaze locked on the front door and her escape, Mira headed off the dance floor. A few feet from freedom, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and yanked her against a hard chest. She yelped, the feminine sound an automatic response to the male who’d caught her. Josh often made her forget she was the predator, not him.
Josh pressed his mouth to her ear. “Going somewhere?”
“I was…”
“Coming to find me.” He stepped closer and slipped his other arm around her waist, locking their bodies together, his front to her back. “Weren’t you?”
Mira shook her head.
“Trying to make me jealous, then?”
No, she was trying to protect him the only way she knew how.
“I think you’re reading extra into things. I’m here with Aron because—”
Josh nipped her earlobe, stopping her words. A flick of his tongue laved the sting. She held her breath and waited for his next move. He captured the tender lobe between his teeth and tugged. A shuddered groan fell from her lips.
“I don’t care why you’re with him.”
Josh’s warm breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine. Where Aron’s touch chilled her, Josh’s ignited. She burned.
“Don’t you?”
“No.”
“That’s good to hear. Have you finally wised up and realized we won’t ever be together?”
Instead of answering, Josh spun her in his arms. He lifted her, an arm around her waist.
She fisted his shirt. “Josh!”
“Yeah?”
“Put me down.” Her order held no punch.
“In a minute.” He strode down the hall. Her toes skimmed the floor.
Josh stopped in front of his office. He adjusted his hold on her body and pushed the door open.
Her breaths quickened. She couldn’t be locked in a room with a male who triggered her instincts. Only her conscience had kept her out of his bed.
She shoved against his chest, barely managing to break his grip. Shocked by his strength, she stumbled back. The workouts he’d been engaging in had made him powerful. And even more desirable.
No. She had to stop thinking about Josh that way. She knew it, but when he looked at her with those half-lidded eyes, it was hard not to fall under his spell.
She narrowed her eyes. “We are not doing this.”
He gripped the doorframe above her head. His plain black T-shirt stretched over bulging biceps and a chest packed with muscle. Her mouth watered.
“Yes, we are.”
She inhaled, needing to ground herself and gain some control over her runaway libido. His scent filled her lungs. She swayed toward him, an uncontrollable response. He smelled richer, more potent, and full of life.
“No.” She shook her head, trying to clear it before lust drowned out her common sense. “I came here with Aron. He’s my date.”
Josh trailed a fingertip down her cheek and across her lips. She parted them, silently urging him closer while berating herself for being so weak. He dropped his hand.
“But I’m the one you want.” Confidence laced the statement.
She took a step back. He merely watched her. Satisfaction flashed across his face. Seeing it left her uneasy. She put more space between them.
“No, you’re not. I changed my mind. It’s a woman’s prerogative, you know.” She clenched her jaw to stop her rambling.
“Liar.”
Mira ran her fingers through the strands of her hair, hoping he’d focus on that and not the trembling in her limbs or her heaving chest. “I’m not lying.”
Josh’s denim-blue eyes, darker in the dim light, glinted with amusement. He watched her toy with her hair for a long moment. With a smirk on his lips, he slowly perused her body. Sparks skipped across her skin in the wake of his visual inspection.
Hunger slackened his features. He licked his lips. A smile spread over his rough face. “Shall we make a bet then?”
“No. There’s no reason to bother with your silly games.” She huffed. “I chose Aron tonight. He’s the male I want to spend my time with, not you.”
He laid one palm above the swell of her breast and shoved. She stumbled backward. Josh followed her, the lock clicking behind him.
“You’re a horrible liar.” He stood with one hand on the doorknob and the other fisted at his side. “You get this little twitch by your eye and lower your gaze so you’re staring at my nose instead of my eyes.”
Yeah, she couldn’t lie to save her life, but if she made a conscious effort, she could pull it off. She straightened her shoulders. “I’m telling the truth. I want to be with Aron.”
With his gaze locked to hers and his chin lowered, Josh advanced on her. Blue fire burned from behind his long, thick lashes. The intent displayed in his expression sent a shiver of awareness through her.
He stopped a few feet away. “Do you think me a fool, then?”
“No, of course not.”
“Good.” He took a single step closer. “Because I know what you’re doing.”
She shook her head. “You don’t know anything.”
Another step. “Is that so?”
She nodded.
He took one more and kicked a box out of his way. Something rolled and shattered against the wall. His gaze never left hers. “Let me prove it to you.” He extended a hand and curled his fingers. “Come here.”
“No.”
He sighed but disappointment didn’t show on his face. Excitement did.
She scrambled backward. Her legs hit his desk. He kept coming, not stopping his focused approach until his thighs bracketed hers. With his hands on the desktop on either side of her waist, he leaned closer, surrounding her with his presence and completely shattering her control.
She trembled.
Mira, a shifter who’d earned a reputation for viciousness, trembled for a human male. Josh wasn’t just any male, though. He was the one her heart had chosen the moment she’d looked in to his eyes.
Josh pressed his nose to her neck and groaned. The raw sound reached deep inside her, making her lower belly warm. She grasped his wrists, neither pushing him away nor tugging him closer. His warm breath heating her skin froze her in place. Each slow exhale fanned the flames of desire she always experienced around him.
He flicked his tongue across her sensitized skin, and a soft sigh slipped past her lips. “Josh.”
“That’s right, kitten.” He tilted his head so his rough-cut features became her world. “Aron’s touch didn’t make you hot because it’s mine you want.”
Kitten.
She loved when he called her that. If any other male had used the term, she would’ve seen red. Not Josh. He cared about her, and the adoration laced in that one word made her feel special. She locked her muscles, barely managing to stop herself from snuggling against him.
Protect him. She needed to protect him from her, not curl up next to his sated body.
Yes, she would, even if it killed her. Mira wanted him to find some happiness, in this life and every future one. No way did she want his soul to remember her, maybe long for her as she would for him. She didn’t want fate to dim his chances of falling in love with another woman. It wasn’t an outcome she wanted for either of them, but her hands were tied, first by the prophecy demanding she birth the children predicted to change the world, then by the Council’s unwavering order.
She dropped her gaze to his nose. “I enjoyed Aron’s kiss.”
Josh tipped her chin up. “I watched you. You looked pained.”
“That’s not true.”
He used his hold on her chin to expose her neck and pressed a chaste kiss to her throat. “You didn’t want his lips here.”
A breathy sigh escaped. She caught her upper lip between her teeth to stop more from slipping out.
He turned his head and focused on her mouth. The desire reflected in his expression spurred hers. She bit harder to stop her demand he kiss her.
“Or”—Josh tugged at her shirt, exposing her scar—“here.”
With a single finger, he slipped the strap of her bra over her shoulder. He leaned closer and bathed the old mark with his exhaled air. Shivers raced down her spine. She tensed in anticipation.
“Will you enjoy my mouth on the bite, sucking and nipping until you’re wild?”
Mira swallowed hard. “My nerves are deadened there. I don’t feel anything.”
“Still choosing to lie to me, huh?”
“No lies. Many males have licked that spot. I’ve felt nothing there.”
“I’m not just any man.”
She leaned back. Or tried to. Josh’s hold on her didn’t allow her much freedom. “I don’t feel anything more than lust for you. It doesn’t make you special.”
“That’s not what you said a couple of days ago.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Have you now?”
“Yes.” The lie squeezed her chest.
“That’s okay.” He shrugged. “You’re special to me. That’s enough.”
Josh bent toward her shoulder a second time. His breath warmed the old scar and awareness whipped through her. Before the feeling could take root, she slid her hand between her shoulder and his mouth so he ended up kissing her knuckles. The snap of his teeth resounded in her ears. She flinched.
“Move. Your. Hand.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Please don’t push me.”
“I have to.” Josh turned his head. His dark, smoldering gaze captured hers. “I’m not letting you go. I thought I could play Kade’s game, watch you with other men. I can’t.”
She forced a small half-shrug. If she had to tick Josh off in order to save his life and his future, she would. “Then you’ll make a fool out of yourself. I got a taste of you. It proved you’re not enough of a male to intrigue me more than once.”
She held her breath and waited for his anger.
The corners of his mouth lifted, and he put a slight space between them. “Is that so?”
Unsure of what amused him, she studied him. His expression didn’t give her any clues. Finally, she inclined her head. “Yes.”
He closed the couple of inches between them. She leaned back to avoid coming in contact with his hard chest. Instead of matching the move, he reached around her and swiped his hand across the wooden desk. The sounds of fluttering papers, the tinkling of paperclips, and pens clanking to the floor were her only warnings.
He lifted her and dropped her bottom on the desk’s surface. Before she could scramble away, he pressed his hips into the space between her thighs, then drew her closer with his splayed palm over her bottom. She automatically widened her legs and linked her ankles over his backside.
“Then I guess I’ll have to prove you wrong,” he said before he claimed her mouth.
As dominant as any shifter male, Josh led the kiss, urging her to follow his example and accept his control. Their teeth banged, and her fangs descended, proving how much he affected her. The sharpened points didn’t deter him. He kissed her with more fervor, not so much as pausing when she nicked him.
Blood flavored the kiss—his and hers. She curled her tongue around his to enjoy the moment. He tasted good, better than she’d expected from a human. Still, she hadn’t meant to hurt him. She pulled back, but he followed, groaning as he deepened the kiss.
The primal sound ramped up her lust. She dug blunt nails into his shoulders to hold him in place and gave herself up to the passion consuming her.
She nipped first his tongue then hers. The symbolic joining of their blood—hers sweet, his with a tang of iron—made what they were doing more intimate than any kiss she’d ever shared. He didn’t give her the chance to revel in it. The way he commanded her mouth scattered her thoughts.
Each rolling stroke of his tongue weakened her. She clutched him tighter.
Josh was everything she could’ve asked for in a male—aggressive, desirable, and passionate. She wanted to keep him and enjoy ecstasy at his hands every day for eternity. She never wanted to lose him.
Marry him. Soul-bond to him. Join them any way they could so she never existed without him.
But she couldn’t mate him. She couldn’t even share his short human life with him. If she did, he’d die.
Kade had described the vision the goddess had bestowed in vivid detail—Josh sprawled on a wooden floor, mouth and eyes open, with blood covering his body and her clawed hands.
She turned her head, breaking their wicked kiss. “Wait, I need—“
“Me. You need me.”
Josh took her mouth again, capturing her tongue and sucking. Energy whipped through her body, and she moaned. He swallowed the sound with another rumble of approval.
Hearing his enjoyment pleased her. She wanted to do so again. The urge to pleasure him was one she couldn’t deny, not when he hit every trigger point. That both amazed her and scared her, especially with the desperation lingering in her mind.
As if sensing her inner turmoil, he broke the kiss and studied her for a long moment. With slow, controlled movements, he wrapped her locks around his hand, and the gentle tugging of her strands sped her pulse. He held her immobilized with the section of her hair and a palm over her lower back.
Time stretched. Finally, he gave her hair a hard yank. She arched into him, and he leaned over her body so each breath she took pushed her chest against his hard muscles. Unable to break the spell he wove around her, she panted and awaited his next move.
He trailed a single finger across her shoulder. His teasing stroke left a path of heat and sensitivity in its wake. He inched his calloused fingertip closer to her old scar. His intent was clear. She sucked in a rough breath, unsure if she wanted him to caress it or not. The reminder that he could never be the one who awakened it was one she didn’t need.
Thankfully, he didn’t touch the mark. He skimmed the length of her neck, distracting her from her grim thoughts, then dragged his fingertip across her cheek to her lips. Her pent-up air escaped in a rush. He took advantage of her breathy exhale. He slid his finger between her lips and stroked her descended canines.
Sensations skipped through her, igniting the fire deep inside her, the one that only burned for Josh. Her eyelids drifted shut on a moan.
“I love your fangs. They look incredibly sexy and make kissing you even better.”
She glanced at him to judge his words. Sincerity shone in his eyes, along with lust. “But I shouldn’t have nicked your tongue.”
A lopsided smile graced his face. Her heart flipped over.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. “Then the proper thing to do is kiss it and make it all better.” He traced her lower lip with the tip of his tongue before sweeping it across the upper one. “Kiss me this time, Mira.”
She wanted to do that and more. She couldn’t. Every encounter they shared reaffirmed her feelings toward him, but nothing had changed. The goddess’ vision hung over them, along with the prophecy surrounding her. All she’d done by giving in to her lust was tease them both.
“No, I don’t want any more kisses from you.”
She felt his smile against her mouth. “Don’t you enjoy them?”
She turned her head, and his lips skimmed over her cheek with the move. A shiver ran the length of her spine.
“They’re okay.” Why couldn’t Josh react the way she expected? His amused tone confused her. She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I’ve had better.”
He trailed the finger still wet from her mouth down the column of her throat. She bent her head to give him room to explore. A long moment passed before he hooked his finger around the collar of her shirt. Her pulse raced. With a tug, he exposed her upper chest. She froze in anticipation. He bent closer and pressed an openmouthed kiss to her skin.
With his lips brushing lightly against her, he asked, “How about that one?”
She swallowed hard. “Nothing special.”
He sighed, but the way he licked his lips warned her he wasn’t done with her yet. Excitement built within her. She silently berated herself for the eagerness, but she offered no resistance when he lifted her arm.
He glided the tip of his forefinger from her wrist to the edge of her sleeve. His barely-there caress undid her. She closed her eyes, but not seeing his exploration didn’t dim its effect.
He took her hand in his and pressed his lips to her skin. She focused solely on the sensation of his kiss. He brushed his open mouth over her knuckles, then turned her hand over to tease her inner wrist. The soft scrape of his stubble weakened her knees, and the swirls of his tongue over her skin fanned the desire raging through her.
“Better?”
“No.”
Her breathless answer brought another rumble of laughter from him.
“You’re tough on a man’s pride.”
“I’m just telling the truth.” She inhaled deeply, hoping to lessen the lust adding a husky edge to her voice. “Your kisses are nice.” Another inhale filled her lungs with Josh’s rich scent. “That’s it. Nice, not spectacular.”
He dropped to his knees. She tensed. With her skirt pushed up, he had a perfect view of her panties, blue to match his eyes. He didn’t peek or try to touch her intimately. He lifted her calf and kissed his way to her knee, teasing the crease with quick flicks of his tongue before moving higher.
Her heart knocked hard against her rib cage. He couldn’t mean to kiss her…there.
“What are”—she dragged in a shaky breath—“you doing?”
“Trying to rebuild my self-esteem, kitten.” He raised his head. With his heated gaze on her, he caressed her inner thigh. “I can’t let you walk away from me unsatisfied, now, can I?”
“You don’t have to…I mean, this isn’t…”
“I do.” He pressed a firm hand to her belly. “And I need more room if I’m going to kiss you properly. Lie down.”
“I saw Josh lying on a wooden floor. Blood covered his gut. His eyes were vacant, and his mouth was open. He appeared dead. And you, Mira? I saw you standing over him with blood dripping off your claws.” Kade’s words came back to her.
No! She refused to allow the vision to become reality.
She shook her head. “Josh, wait. I—”
He leaned over her. Desire-ridden eyes met hers. “Why, kitten?” He traced her lip with his finger. “Do you want me to stop?”
She opened her mouth to say ‘yes’ but shook her head. Weak. She was so weak.
Another lopsided smile spread over his face.
Josh made love to her with his mouth, and she writhed for him. This moment was for her. He made sure she understood that with every touch, every kiss,
Finally, he eased back. His chest heaved. The muscles of his arms bulged. He looked strong, primal, and pleased with himself. Meeting her gaze, he gave her a smile. The sight of him, a gorgeous male who’d worshipped her as if she were his queen, reignited her desire. She wanted him to kiss her again, love her, anything to ease the flames burning deep inside.
A smile lit up his face, the kind a male wore when he knew he’d sated his woman. “Was that kiss any better?”
The sound of muffled screams stopped her admission. Josh jumped back.
He cursed. In one quick move, he grabbed a flannel shirt draped over his desk chair, wiped his chin, and turned for the door. She sat there, too relaxed from Josh’s attentions to move. The loud thump of a body hitting something and the sound of splintering wood brought her back to reality.
A shifter’s roar rang out. She knew that enraged call. Aron’s bellowed curse confirmed her suspicion. The fight was her fault.