He licked over the cut once more, even slower this time to savor the moment, but already he felt the skin close and mend. No more blood seeped from it. She would have a small scar, but the wound had already healed. Unable to tear himself away, he placed his lips on the spot he’d healed and kissed it.

“Is that part of it?” he heard her ask.

It wasn’t, but for her he would make it part of the healing process. “Yes.” Amaury planted another feather-light kiss on the wound.

He looked up and met her gaze. Did she know he was lying?

Nina inspected the spot and for the first time gave him an approving look. “Wow, that’s impressive.”

“Didn’t hurt, did it?”

The question made her blush. She suddenly looked soft and vulnerable, not like the tough fighter he’d met in the alley.

“Let’s check your other injuries.”

Amaury tried to be as professional about it as he could, but was sure he could barely disguise his eagerness. He hoped he’d find many little cuts he could seal. Any excuse to touch her skin and kiss her. He wanted to do this all night. Lick every square inch of her enticing body, explore each fold and every ridge.

“I’m fine. That was the only injury,” Nina assured him and straightened.

Amaury looked down at her shirt and noticed the torn fabric over her breast and the bloodstains on it. “Liar.”

He opened the top button of her shirt, while Nina tried to push his hands away.

“Hold still. I’m just trying to help you.” There was nothing wrong with him getting a bit of action in the process.

“Right!” she hissed.

“Come on; think of me as a doctor.” He’d be more than happy playing doctor with her, especially if he got to examine her naked. And if she was shy, he’d help her over her shyness by getting naked himself. In fact, he’d ask her to undress him.

Undeterred, he opened another button. Nina’s hand came up to stop him. Gently he brushed it away and continued. As he eased another button open and glimpsed the curve of her breast, he sucked in a sharp breath.

Air conditioning. He should have switched on the air conditioning. It was getting far too warm in the apartment.

When the last button was undone, he pulled back the right side of her shirt, exposing her breast to his view. Ignoring the cut for a second, he noticed the perfect roundness, the size of a small grapefruit, waiting for his caress. Ripe fruit ready for harvesting. He was one lucky son of a bitch.

Again, Amaury had to clear his dry throat. “It’s a bad cut. I’ll clean it with warm water first.” He had to keep talking, so he wouldn’t fall over her and devour her. “I think he got you with one of his claws.”

He looked up and noticed that Nina had turned her face away from him as if she couldn’t watch. His gaze went back to her breast. The cut was about three inches long and had barely missed her nipple. It continued bleeding.

Slowly, he took the wet towel and started cleaning her wound with one hand, while his other one cradled her breast from underneath to hold it still. She jerked at first when he settled her soft globe into his palm, but said nothing. He liked feeling the weight of it in his hand, realizing it was the perfect size for him. He gave it a barely noticeable squeeze. A perfect combination of firmness and softness greeted him.

“I’ll have to close the cut now. You’re losing too much blood.” He spoke in a low voice, not wanting to alarm her in any way, not wanting to destroy this perfect moment.

Nina finally met his eyes. “Do it.” He was surprised by the huskiness in her voice.

The moment Amaury dipped his head to her breast, he knew he would do more than heal her cut. The desire coursing through his loins had him in a tight grip. At the first lap of his tongue over the injury, he grew hard. He let the blood run down the back of his tongue and forced himself to take it slowly, so he could prolong the moment of sheer and utter bliss he felt. Twice already he’d licked over the cut and it had sealed, but he was unable to stop.

“Nina,” he whispered as his tongue strayed from the cut and lapped over her hardened nipple. Hardened? Was she aroused?

And then he felt her hands in his hair, as if to hold him in place. His lips locked around her nipple, and slowly he suckled. His hand kneaded her gorgeous breast as he sucked her nipple deeper into his mouth. He couldn’t get enough of her. She tasted like heaven, like a dream, a fairy tale.

Even the way she played with his hair turned him on. When she suddenly released a moan, he thought he would come right there and spill in his pants. His cock yearned for her soft center, giving him a painful reminder that he hadn’t had sex in over twenty-four hours.