“You think?” she snapped, trying to ignore the unexpected emotion that flared through the silver eyes.
That hint of the stark loneliness did something dangerous deep inside her.
“But I do recognize when a woman wants me,” he stubbornly warned, his hand slipping to cup her nape. With a tug he had her pressed against the unyielding width of his chest. “And you, Sally Grace, want me.”
“Why you arrogant . . .” He swooped down to steal a kiss. She jerked her head back to glare at him. “Ass . . .” He kissed her again, his lips unexpectedly tender. “Roke . . .” she pleaded, shivering as a honeyed heat flooded through her. “Stop that.”
“Why?” he rasped, blatantly rubbing his fully erect cock against her lower stomach.
She sucked in a strangled breath, a fierce need jolting through her and for a dazed second she couldn’t remember why.
She’d wanted this aggravating vampire with a fierce craving that was making her nuts.
Why not rip off the tee and lick her way down his body? A few tugs and she could have him stripped of his clothes, then she could take that cock in her mouth and bring the proud vampire to his knees. From there it would be a simple matter to press him backward and climb on top of him and . . .
The vivid fantasies refused to be banished, even as she kept her hands from straying over the chiseled muscles beneath her palms.
“We’re supposed to be finding a way to get rid of each other, not making things worse.”
“How could this make things worse?”
He lowered his head and nuzzled a path of destruction down the curve of her neck. Sally trembled, raw heat flaring through her at the erotic feel of his fangs scraping against her tender flesh.
“I—”
“Yes, my love?”
She struggled to hold on to the unraveling thread of her protest.
“I don’t have sex with men who hate me.”
He jerked his head back, as if genuinely surprised by her words.
“You think I hate you?”
“Don’t you?” she accused.
“No.”
“You blame me for the spell that forced you to become my mate.”
His lips twisted, his brooding gaze sweeping over her tense body.
“I feel a lot of things, but hate isn’t one of them.”
“If the spell was broken—”
Stark hunger flared through his eyes. Oh . . . goddess.
“I’d still want you,” he growled, lowering his head, to allow his fangs to scrape down the curve of her neck. “Like this.”
“Roke,” she breathed.
A tiny voice warned that she should be terrified by the threat of those enormous weapons so close to her veins, but her body instinctively arched to rub against the hard thrust of his erection.
Roke groaned, his hands slipping beneath her sweatshirt to tug it up and over her head.
The cool air brushed over her skin, but it did nothing to ease the feverish heat that flowed through her veins. A heat that only intensified as he cupped her bare breasts in his hands, his thumbs teasing her nipples to tight beads.
Sally squeezed her eyes closed, savoring the agonizing pleasure of Roke’s touch at the same time she could feel the hunger that pulsed through him.
Perhaps their bond was an illusion, but there was a heady sensation in experiencing their mutual reaction as his lips traced the line of her shoulder and then down her inner arm, sketching the intricate crimson scrolling with the tip of his tongue.
Sally’s startled gasp echoed through the shelter.
She’d never realized a mere brush of his lips over her mating mark could be so . . . erotic.
Her skin tingled, electric darts of anticipation arrowing straight to her womb.
She released a shaky groan as his cool, clever fingers skimmed down her body, tugging at the zipper of her jeans.
How many nights had she fantasized about this vampire? His touch . . . his kiss . . .
The feel of his fangs striking deep into her flesh.
Lost in the cascading pleasure, Sally arched her back in silent encouragement.
Roke growled in appreciation, turning his attention to her naked breasts. His tongue tortured the sensitive tip as his hands skillfully slid the jeans down her slender hips, pausing long enough to yank off her shoes before the jeans were removed and tossed across the floor.
Slowly his fingers explored the slender curve of her hip, as he trailed kisses over her opposite breast. Sally forgot to breathe as she restlessly ran her hands over his chest, her body trembling with need.
“This is insanity,” she moaned.
“No.” He nibbled a path to the tip of her breast. “Insanity is trying to fight this.”
A part of her agreed. The part that was shivering with a breathless anticipation that made her heart pound and her knees weak.
Another part, however, understood that this was more than a casual quickie.
The mating mark on her arm still tingled from his light caress, emphasizing their unnervingly intimate connection.
Did she really want to take the chance of becoming even more tightly bound to a vampire who was desperate to get rid of her?
“Roke . . . wait.”
With a soft curse, he lifted his head, his expression tight with frustration.
“I can feel your desire, Sally,” he rasped. “You ache with your need.”
She flushed. It was awful enough he could scent her arousal without having a direct peek into her inner fantasies.
“Which is precisely why this is such a bad idea.”
His eyes flashed with silver fire. “It’s not an idea. It’s fate. We both know it.”
“And if it somehow interferes in the magic binding us together? There are demons who use sex to complete their mating.”
Without warning, he had her scooped in his arms and stretched across the narrow bed.
“Right now, I’m willing to take the risk.”
She shuddered as he leaned over her, burying his face in the curve of her neck.
“Roke—”
“Ssh.” He nuzzled soft kisses down the line of her chin. “There is more than one way to share pleasure.”
His fingers gently traced the curve of her breasts, as his mouth sought her lips in a kiss of stark need.
She moaned, her toes curling as his tongue penetrated her lips, a flood of melting desire rushing through her.
She knew she should fight.
There were a thousand reasons this could be put in the worst-decision-ever category.
But hell, who was she fooling?
It hadn’t only been her appetite that had suffered when she’d been apart from Roke. Her restless nights had been plagued by a craving for his touch.