“Are you daft, Dorian?”
Dorian growled at his cousin. “Shut up, Seamus. I know what I’m doing.”
Rust-colored brows rose. “You told the girlie about us, man. I don’t know if that was the right way to go about it. I could have distracted her for you so that you could hunt Grady, so why didn’t you tell me she was still going on about wolves in Ireland?”
A snarl left Dorian’s lips. He didn’t want his cousin or any other man distracting Jesenia. She was his, damn it. On a roar, he stood up and batted the small wooden table over. Ever since he’d left her room this morning he’d been trying to convince himself that Jesenia didn’t belong to him. It still hadn’t sunk in to his dense skull. “I’ll take care of it, Seamus. I have a plan because I know she thinks she’s going to follow me out into the woods tonight, and I can’t let that happen. Grady nearly took a chunk out of her twice already. I won’t risk her like that again.”
Seamus crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Hmm.”
Dorian pinned him with a glare. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re taken with her.”
“Now who’s daft?”
“Fine. Have it your way, then, but I haven’t seen you this frustrated in a hundred years or more. And I say it’s the woman who has you this way.”
“We’re not discussing it.” Dorian stomped toward the door without a backward glance, leaving his cousin behind in the old breakfast room. The problem was his cousin saw too much. How in the hell had he let Jesenia get to him this way?
Whatever the reason, he didn’t have time to dwell on it now. Grady had to be stopped, and to do his job Dorian needed to know that Jesenia was safe.
* * * * *
Jesenia tied the laces of her new tennis shoes and pushed out of the chair next to the small desk in her hotel room. The sun had set about a half hour ago, and she’d decided if Dorian didn’t show as promised, she would go find him. She refused to let him do this on his own.
He’d left sometime after she’d fallen asleep. She’d found a note on the desk telling her that he’d be back after sunset. That didn’t exactly mean he was on board with her offer of assistance, but she was determined. There had to be a way to convince him.
She plopped down onto the bed and sighed. Werewolves. How in the world was any of this even possible? Yet she’d seen it with her own eyes. A giggle escaped her lips. She was falling in love with a werewolf. It made her wonder if there were werewolves in the States too.
A knock on the door sounded and she jumped up, racing to answer it. It had to be Dorian and she couldn’t wait to see him again. A quick glance through the peephole confirmed her thoughts. With haste she unlocked the door, pulled it open and stepped into his arms. His mouth crashed down on hers as he walked them backward into the room and closed the door. A solid arm banded around her lower back and she was lifted off her feet. Her breasts pressed into his solid chest as her hands went into his hair.
She kissed him back, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke. And then she was falling, the soft mattress met her back and the welcome weight of Dorian rested at her front. Her legs wrapped around his hips as her lower lips became slick. His hard cock pressed against the seam of her pussy and she moaned into his mouth.
Raw passion. This man oozed it. She clawed at his shoulders, which were bare since he wore a tank top.
He pulled back from the kiss. “Jesenia. I can’t think straight when I’m with you.”
She smiled up at him, loving the way his green eyes sparkled. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have attacked you as soon as I opened the door, but…I guess I can’t think straight around you either.” Her teeth sank into her lower lip.
His hand caressed the side of her face. “You’re beautiful.”
“You’re not too shabby yourself.”
He smiled and her chest tightened.
“I want to show you something.” He separated himself from her body.
She shivered at the loss of heat. “Where are we going?”
He stood from the bed and offered his hand. “It’s a surprise.”
The tilt of his head and the way he smiled now told her he was up to something. She slowly placed her hand in his. “I thought we needed to hunt for Grady?”
“Yes. But I want to show you something first.”
She rose to her feet and he entwined their fingers, pulling her toward the door. She stopped as he twisted the knob and turned to look back at her. “You’re not going to talk me out of helping you, Dorian. So I hope you don’t think you can distract me with something.”
He laughed, then brought her hand up to his lips. “I know that I can’t talk you out of coming with me.”
She let him lead her out of the room and to the lift. “Good. As long as you know that my mind is made up. I even bought new tennis shoes at a small store in Kilmorny. So where are we going?”
He guided them onto the lift. “Surprise, remember?”
She sighed as the doors slid closed. “Well, can you at least tell me if it’s inside or outside the castle?”
He stared at her. “I bet you shook all your presents before Christmas.”
She frowned. So what if she did? Her gaze moved back to the shiny metal doors in front of her. Apparently he wasn’t going to give her any clues.
He laughed. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
“It’s in the castle, mianach áilleacht.”
She turned to look at him, remembering him saying those words on the beach. “What does it mean?”
“Beauty mine.”
She drew in a breath, but before she could speak, the doors slid open and Dorian was guiding her out and down the hall. Mine. Such a possessive word. Or was she reading too much into it? He hadn’t said “my beauty”, but “beauty mine”. Oh Lord, she would drive herself crazy trying to decipher his meaning. When she wrote her male characters they used possessive terms like “mine” and it meant something then. But that was fiction. What mattered were his thoughts. Does he feel possessive? Did she want him to? She knew she didn’t want any other woman to be with him. A sour roll went through her tummy. Did she even have anyone of whom to be jealous? Dorian didn’t have a ring on his finger, but she also knew that there were men out there who didn’t wear them. Hell, did werewolves even have wedding rings?
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced at Dorian as they walked along hand in hand. “Nothing. Why?”
“There was a change in your scent. What are you thinking about?”
She let loose a small laugh. “You can tell my moods by my scent?”
“In a way. The more I’m around you, the better I’ll become at knowing what each scent change is exactly. But for now I can smell a slight bitterness, which tells me something is bothering you. Your scent gets sweeter when you’re happy.”
“Hmm.”
“Does this bother you?”
She shrugged. “Maybe a little. I’m used to my thoughts being private.”
“Then I won’t say anything when I notice a difference.”
“Just because you don’t say anything doesn’t mean you still won’t know, so I guess it doesn’t really make a difference.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“I know. You’re different. And there are just some things I’m going to have to get used to.”
He squeezed her hand as they approached the Cave. Music drifted from inside the dimly lit interior, reaching her ears. The live band played very well. Dorian led her by the entrance of the club. Well, apparently he didn’t have dancing or drinks in mind. The hall dead-ended at a brick wall a short ways down. He tugged on her hand, leading her to the left.
Had she not been looking for it, she’d have never noticed the hidden narrow staircase. “Where does it go?”
“The dungeon.”
Her eyelids peeled back as she jerked her hand from his. “Oh no. Why in the world would I want to go down into a creepy dungeon? Have you not heard all the ghost stories running around this place? Hell, you’re probably old enough to have been present during some of the deaths.”
He rolled his eyes and reached out, snatching her hand back. “No ghosties will be getting you, lass. It’s not bad as it seems.”
“Heh.”
He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her lips. “Come on, lass. I won’t let anything happen to ya.”
What the hell? Why not go down the scary staircase? “All right.” He smiled in victory and she growled at him. Laughter bounced off the stone walls and echoed down the staircase as Dorian chuckled. She couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across her own lips.
“Growling, love?”
She sobered. Love?
“Come on, then.”
She didn’t question him. Placing one foot in front of the other, she let him guide her to the steps. It would be difficult to hold his hand, so she let him go and grasped the thin iron rail, the metal cold beneath her fingers. Slow and steady she followed him down the spiraling staircase. Electric wall lanterns cast an eerie glow. The lower they descended, the more chilled she became. A shiver rippled down her body. With each breath, she noticed the air had become thicker and wet. For the humidity to be so high she had to admit that the absence of mold and mildew spoke highly of the cleaning staff.
They arrived at a stone landing and Dorian led her to the right, down a short curved passage. The ceiling and walls were rounded like a tunnel and she couldn’t help the slight feeling of claustrophobia that took hold.
“Easy, lass. We’ll be out of this area shortly.”
The scent thing again. She didn’t want him to know that she was spooked. How in the hell would she make sure he took her with him when he left to hunt Grady if she couldn’t even handle a dungeon? She sucked in a breath and willed her nerves to steady.
A stone wall stood up ahead, and she noticed that the hallway split both left and right. Red carpet led to the left and bare stone floor to the right. Light filled the hallway with the red carpet, but darkness was the only thing to their right. “Please tell me we are going left.”
He gripped her hand. “Aye, Jesenia. We go left.”
She released a breath she hadn’t remembered holding as she walked with him toward a desk. The hallway was much wider, allowing her to remain comfortably at his side. A door next to the desk swung open and a tall woman exited.
Blue-and-green stripes mixed with her long, black hair. Dark eyeliner circled her eyes. A metal ball stud was on the left side of her nose and a matching small hoop decorated her bright-red lips. A silver circle hung around her neck. Large breasts puffed up from the black leather bustier. A black micro-mini hung low on her lean hips. Pale skin showed on her thighs before they disappeared into thigh-high leather boots.
“Synthia, I’d like you to meet Jesenia.”
Jesenia’s gaze shot to Dorian. He knew the woman? She turned her attention back to the lady and accepted her outstretched hand.
“So this is the lass Seamus was going on about.” Synthia winked at Jesenia.
“We need inside, Synthia.”
“As my alpha wishes,” she replied with a beaming smile and stuck a key card into the door, pulling it open for them to pass.
Jesenia walked with Dorian behind Synthia down a dark hallway. The only illumination came from carpet running lights like those in movie theaters. They stopped in front of a door and Synthia whipped her key card out again and placed it into the electronic lock.
“Have fun,” Synthia said, smiling as she pulled open the door.
Jesenia swallowed hard and followed behind Dorian as they entered a large room. The dull mix of voices had her gaze panning the area. People from every walk of life peppered the room. Some were at a large bar on the back wall getting drinks, while others sat on sofas and in wingback chairs, talking and laughing. Fake torches lined the walls, casting a soft glow. Near the end of the bar a large, muscled man with long black hair tipped his head in their direction. Dorian acknowledged him with a similar nod.
There were several hallways that led off the room. Her feet never stopped moving as she continued her path through the people, not wanting to lose sight of Dorian. He led them down a hallway on the left.
Doors lined both sides of the passage. Some had white ribbons on the doorknobs and others didn’t. Dorian led her a little ways down the hall and stopped in front of a door marked with a ribbon. Jesenia watched as he slipped the fabric off the handle and shoved it in his pocket before opening the door.
“After you.”
She sucked in a fortifying breath and entered the dimly lit room. A plush red velvet sofa lined the back wall. The soft snick of the door closing at her back made her shiver. Her eyelids lowered to half-mast as Dorian’s hands came to rest on her shoulders. She scanned the rest of the room, her gaze stopping on an item in the opposite corner from the sofa.
Dorian skimmed his hands down her arms. “Do you want to play, lass?”
Jesenia’s heart rate accelerated as her lower lips grew slick with desire. A wooden spanking bench with red padded cushions sat in that corner, waiting…beckoning. She sighed as Dorian’s warm lips touched her neck. Her nipples became hard pebbles. Never had she played like this before.
She wanted to do this. But why? She didn’t even know Dorian that well, yet she was ready to give him control. She trusted him with her safety.
His hands moved to her hips, pushing up the fabric of her shirt. Strong calloused hands caressed her skin. She raised her hands, letting him guide her shirt up over her head. He tossed it aside and gripped her breasts.
On a moan, she leaned back into the solid strength of his body. His erection, hard and thick, pressed against her ass and she wiggled her hips against him. Her core pulsed as she grew wetter, soaking her panties.
Dorian growled next to her ear. “So sexy.”
She cried out as his teeth sank into the flesh where her neck met her shoulder, his bite hard enough to arouse but not hurt. The accompanying pinch to both of her nipples had her pussy throbbing. Hell, they hadn’t even got to the spanking part and already she wanted to feel his cock pushing into her.
As his fingers went to work on the fastenings of her jeans she toed her shoes off. Slowly he pushed the denim over her hips and down her legs. Thumbs hooked in the sides of her panties, he repeated the same slow motion. The clasp on her bra was next. She stepped free of the clothes around her ankles as she shimmied her arms, letting the lacy fabric slide down her arms to land on her jeans.
He molded his body against her back, walking slowly, guiding her toward the bench. His tongue and teeth played at her neck as he cupped her pussy in one hand and squeezed her left breast with the other. A moan tore from her lips.
“I love how wet you get for me, Jesenia.” Dorian moved a finger through her slit.
“Yes,” she whispered, moving her hips to increase the sensation caused by his teasing digit. Her shins came up against the bench and she slid down his body as her knees sank into the padding. Leaning down, she sighed as the slanted top supported her weight. Ass tilted in the air, she felt sensual and erotic. Not only would the position allow him to spank her upturned rump but it would allow him to take her hard and solid with his cock.
His teeth grazed her bare bottom as he worked to restrain her feet and lower legs. She shivered, wanting more of the wicked contact.
“Do you trust me, lass?” Dorian stretched his upper body across her back, reaching around to attach the wrist cuffs.
“Yes,” Jesenia whispered.
The last cuff clicked into place. “Then please forgive me. I only want to protect you.” Dorian kissed her spine, then stood.
She frowned, trying to shake off some of the lusty fog that filled her brain. “What?”
A blanket covered her body.
No answer came, which had her straining to turn her head to find him. He was walking toward the main door. “Dorian? What the hell? Where are you going?”
His shoulders slumped as he reached the door but he didn’t turn around. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to talk you out of going with me to look for Grady. It’s too dangerous.”
Jesenia fought against the restraints, anger rising inside, making her skin flush. “Don’t you dare leave me tied up to this bench, Dorian.”
He turned his head and pinned her with his stare. “At least this way I’ll know you’re safe.”
“Safe! What the fuck, Dorian? I’m tied naked to a damn bench. How the hell is that safe?” This couldn’t be happening. Yes, she’d been set on helping him, but this was crazy. “Dorian. Talk to me.”
“One of my men will guard the door. He will not allow anyone to enter but me. The walls are made to be soundproof, so screaming will do you no good. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She watched, jaw gaping as he opened the door and shut it behind him. “Dorian!”