They lay motionless; the rapid beat of their hearts the only sound to break the heavy silence.
Slowly the stench of gunpowder was replaced by Salvatore’s rich musk that seemed to seep into Harley’s skin, branding her with an awareness that was as unwelcomed as the realization of just how perfect his heavy body felt pressed so intimately against hers.
Damned Were.
He had to be doing some sort of mystical werewolf shit on her.
She refused to believe that his savage magnetism could be anything but a trick.
As if deliberately mocking her desperate theory, Salvatore shifted to settle his hips between her spread legs, his head lowering until his face was pressed against the curve of her neck and the raven hair fell about her like a curtain of warm satin.
A treacherous heat swirled through the pit of her stomach and Harley planted her hands against his chest.
A distraction.
That’s what she needed.
And pronto.
“Well, that worked out well,” she muttered, her heart slamming against her chest when his lips lightly touched the base of her throat.
“Could be worse,” he murmured.
“Get off me.”
“Why?” His lips continued to nibble, sending jolts of electric pleasure through her. “We’re obviously stuck in here for the time being. We might as well make the best of a bad situation.”
Oh…God. She squeezed her eyes shut, battling the fierce tug of attraction that flared between them.
Distraction, distraction, distraction…
“Did you turn Caine into a cur?” she husked.
He stilled, as if caught off guard by her question. “No.”
“Then how did you control him?”
“I’m the king. All curs belong to me.”
Harley snorted. Pure arrogance, in all its glory.
“And the Weres?”
“Of course.” He nipped the lobe of her ear. “You’re mine, cara. From the top of your golden head to the tips of your tiny toes, and every delectable curve in between.”
Harley felt a flutter of unease as she recalled how Salvatore had held Caine captive.
“No frigging way,” she rasped.
He laughed softly, his breath brushing against her skin, making it prickle with excitement.
“In every way.” He pulled back to regard her with an unnerving intensity. “And just a word of warning, Harley, I don’t share.”
Her mouth went dry even as she was shaking her head in denial.
“God, I thought Caine was off his nut.”
The golden gaze skimmed down to her mouth. “I make no guarantee of my sanity, but I do promise that my claim to you is very real.”
“Salvatore.”
“I like the sound of my name on your lips,” he muttered, abruptly lowering his head as if unable to resist temptation. “And the taste,” he whispered against her mouth. “I especially like the taste.”
It was the biting need clutching her body that at last pushed her unease to sheer panic.
Without giving herself time to think, she shoved her hands against his chest, sending him flying off her and onto his back on the cement floor.
“What part of ‘get off me’ did you not understand?” she rasped, scrambling to her feet to glare down at his amused expression. “What’s so funny?”
With a liquid grace he was on his feet, his raven hair tumbling about his lean face and the golden eyes glowing with anticipation.
“I’m a predator.”
Like that was some sort of secret?
The man reeked of danger.
“And?”
“And there’s nothing I enjoy more than the chase.” He smiled, his teeth startling white against his bronzed skin. “Well…almost nothing. I have a feeling that on this occasion, the capture is going to be even more satisfying.”
Prey? Her eyes narrowed. “You’re an idiot if you think I’m some sort of helpless female that’s yours for the taking.”
“I wouldn’t want you if you were helpless. At least not unless you were in the mood to be at my mercy.” He reached to stroke a brazen finger down the low scoop of her sports bra. “You might enjoy a night in my handcuffs.”
“Yeah.” She slapped his finger away. “About as much as I would enjoy having my eyes gouged out.”
His smile widened. “I’m going to enjoy teaching you just how many pleasures are waiting for us.”
With short, jerky steps, she moved to glare at the door across the room.
“For God’s sake, now is not the time or place for this.”
He moved to stand directly behind her, the heat of his body searing her back.
“Then when is the time?”
“How does never sound to you?”
“Unbearable,” he breathed into her ear.
Harley wrapped her arms around her waist. It was either that, or wrapping them around the edible Were. Damn him to hell.
“Can you control Caine even at a distance?” she demanded roughly.
There was a taut silence, then with a faint sigh Salvatore moved to stand at her side, his profile hard.
“Not with you…” He sharply cut off his words, sliding a covert glance in her direction. “Not at the moment. The silver disrupts my powers.”
She frowned, wondering what he was hiding from her.
“He won’t be stupid enough to get that close again.”
“He’ll be back.”
She rolled her eyes. “So now you’re clairvoyant?”
“There’s no need for clairvoyance. Caine’s kept me alive for a reason. Eventually that reason will force him to return.”
“It won’t help if he’s not already in your power. He’ll just tranq you or fill the basement with gas like he did before.”
He grasped her shoulders, turning her to meet the power of his golden gaze.
“Harley, one way or another, I promise you that we’re going to get out of here.”
“And you’re never wrong?”
“Never.”
“Arrogant.”
He flashed that devastatingly sexy smile. “Confident.”
The fact that she couldn’t simply laugh at his egotistical boasts pissed her off. The conceited beast would get them out just to prove her wrong.
She pulled from his grip and eyed him with suspicion.
“You know the Were who’s helping Caine?”
His smile faded, his expression suddenly grim and forbidding.
“Si.”
“I’m assuming from your tone that the two of you aren’t BFFs?”