When he began kissing the same white-hot path his fingers had taken, her legs fell open, a silent plea for contact.

He didn’t give it to her.

He licked her inner thighs, between her damp lips, even speared her core with his tongue, sinking inside for the briefest of seconds, teasing her with what could be, but he was always careful to bypass her clit.

She needed to come, damn it.

“Nicolai. Stop teasing.”

Warm breath trekked over her. “Who do you belong to, Jane?”

Well, well. Now she knew his game. Work her over, tease her with what he could give her, until she gave him what he wanted—what she’d demanded of him. Ownership.

“Look at me,” she said.

He rested his chin on her pubic bone. His lashes lifted, and his gaze met hers. Tension strained his features. He wanted to come as badly as she did. “Yes?” he said.

Who would break first? “My turn.”

She flattened her feet on his shoulders and pushed. A second later, he was the one flat on his back and she was looming over him.

“What are you doing, Jane?”

“Having my turn.” She laved her tongue over his nipples, loving how they speared her tongue. “If I do anything you don’t like, just say stop.”

“I’ll like.” His hands tangled in her hair. His claws must have regrown, because she could feel them biting into her scalp, and she loved it. “Anything you do, I’ll like.”

“Well, then, let’s see what you like most.” She licked her way to his navel and dipped inside. His muscles quivered with anticipation. Her breasts cradled his erection, and she rubbed up and down, up and down, fueling his passion. Soon the tip of him grew moist, allowing a smoother glide.

She wanted him out of control. Mindless. Desperate. Exactly as she was when she was with him. She may not have very much experience, but she wouldn’t let that stop or intimidate her, she decided. She would learn his body, his every secret desire.

“Jane,” he rasped.

“Yes, Nicolai.”

“I need… I want…”

“Me to taste you?”

“Oh, gods, Jane.” His voice was a croak. “Yes. Please.”

She crouched between his legs and peered down at his cock. He was so long, so thick and hard. Down, down she leaned…but she didn’t gobble up that delicious length. Not yet. She lavished attention on his testicles, teasing him as he had teased her, until his hips were lifting in supplication.

“Please,” he said again.

“Who do you belong to?” she asked as he’d asked her.

He didn’t even try to hold out. “You. Jane.”

The admission affected her as strongly as a caress, and she shivered. “I’m going to make you so happy you said that.” She fit her lips around the head of his penis. His flavor hit her taste buds, and she groaned in eagerness. More, she wanted more. She slid her mouth all the way down, until he reached the back of her throat.

A hoarse cry left him. Up she glided, lightly scraping him with her teeth. Another cry. She hovered there, unmoving, tormenting. Waiting.

“Jane, I like this most.”

Down she slid; up she glided, repeating the process over and over, slowly at first, then increasing her speed. Soon he could no longer speak, could only moan and groan as she had. Having him like this, at her mercy, his desire for her consuming him, directing all of his thoughts and actions, was a powerful aphrodisiac to her.

Just as his testicles tightened, signaling the start of his climax, she stilled, clamping her lips on the base of his cock, preventing him from going further. A little trick she’d read about but never tried. His roar of need blasted through the forest.

“Jane,” he panted. “Jane, please.”

He was trembling, moist with perspiration, but he didn’t come. And when the danger passed, she crawled up his body, trembling just as violently. His fangs were so long they’d cut into his lip, leaving trails of blood down his chin.

“Why didn’t you…”

“I want you inside me.” Her blood was molten in her veins, causing sweat to bead on her brow. “Need to be inside you, but not yet, not yet.” His hands returned to her hair, his fingers pulling at the strands. “Must control urge to bite you first.”

“Don’t control the urge.” She leaned down and flicked her tongue against one of his fangs, quickly cutting the soft tissue. “Give in to it. I’m fine.”

He groaned as if in pain. “Delicious.”

“More?”

The world suddenly spun. He’d tossed her on her back, and was looming over her. “More,” he slurred, his gaze locked on her hammering pulse. “No, can’t. Not yet, not yet,” he repeated. “Baby.”

“Yes?” Why not yet? Maybe she was greedy. Maybe she was selfish. She wanted now, now, now.

He chuckled, a broken sound. “No. Baby. I could give you a baby. Do you want a baby?”

Understanding dawned. Sadness and fear suddenly swamped her, dulling some of her desire. “I can’t have children.” Would he think less of her? No longer want her?

The woman his father had picked could probably have children.

Oh, ouch.

Jane had thought she’d come to terms with her lack. But now…the thought of starting a family with Nicolai… She wanted that, she realized. Not now, but later. When they were safe. To be with him, to have his child growing inside her… She would never know that joy.

The lack was another reason she’d dumped Spencer when she had. Once, they’d talked about getting married and starting a family, and she’d known how badly he had wanted that. With her, he would never have it. So she’d let him go, knowing he would thank her one day, when he was wed to another woman, his kids running around and laughing in their home.

“After the accident, my body is ruined,” she said, pushing the words past the lump in her throat. “So, you don’t have to worry about getting me pregnant. Ever. And if you want to stop and never take this thing between us any further, I’ll understand.”

He peered down at her, a dark warrior whose ire had been pricked. “Jane?”

“Yes?”

“I want you no matter what. Need you. Never think otherwise.” With that, he gripped her thighs, spread them and surged up, hitting her deep inside with that one powerful thrust.

She forgot her sadness as instant, necessary, all-consuming desire flooded her. He was so big he stretched her; she was so wet, her once-neglected body gave him only minimal resistance.

“Nicolai!” His name, oh, how she loved his name.

“I like this, too,” he said. In and out he moved. “Changed my mind. Like this most.”

Her mind clouded, her nerve endings razed to the point of pleasure-pain, and she screamed. She’d been so turned on, the slightest stroke would have sent her shooting off to the stars. But this…sweet heaven, this.

Oh, God, it was so good, and she was so lost, she never wanted to be found, wanted this forever… Nicolai, Nicolai, hers, always hers. She was babbling to herself, and she knew it, couldn’t control it. Didn’t want to control it. Just wanted more. Of him, of this.

“Shouldn’t bite, must bite.”

“Bite. Please. I’m yours, Nicolai. I’m yours.”

He growled, and then his fangs were in her neck and she was climaxing, squeezing at him, clutching at him. Taking everything he had to give and demanding more. And he gave it to her.

He rode the waves of her satisfaction, thrusting inside her with a fervor that left her breathless. He was all around her, a part of her, the sole light in her world. Drinking, drinking, oh, yes, drinking. Soon she became dizzy, and little doubts peeked from the shadows of her mind, as if they’d been hiding all along, waiting for her defenses to crumble.

Maybe his words—want you no matter what, need you—were preorgasm talk, meant to lure her into bed and keep her from running. Maybe the cloud of desire had been leading him all along. Maybe he would later change his mind about wanting her.

Maybe, when this was over, he would let her go.

No. She fought back. No. This wasn’t temporary. He wouldn’t discard her. Even if he learned the truth about some of the things she’d done to his kind?

Cold, hard reality. Again, she fought back. Nothing would destroy this moment, not even that. Here, pleasure mattered. Only pleasure.

He hooked one of his arms under her knee and lifted, opening her wider, increasing the depths he reached. Instantly her body prepared for yet another climax, needing it just as desperately as the others, as if sex with him was a prerequisite for her survival. She should fear that. She needed him too intently, was no longer complete without him.

Hell, if she left, would she be the one to wither? Had she mated him and just didn’t know it? What did she know about the road to mating? Nothing really.

Nicolai took hold of her other leg and lifted, surging impossibly deeper, and she forgot even that. There was no part of her left untouched. She was Nicolai’s woman, plain and simple, branded by him, a part of him. After this, she would never be the same, didn’t want to be the same.

She sank her nails into his scalp and forced his head up. His teeth slid from her vein. “Nicolai…”

“I’m sorry.” He eyed her, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t mean… Did I take too much?” Agony wafted.

“No.” He could have it all, every last drop. “Kiss me,” she demanded.

“Yes.” He met her halfway. Their lips pressed together, their tongues dueled. His flavor filled her, and this time it was mixed with hers. Together, every part of them together…intoxicating.

“Mine,” she said.

“Yours.”

Forever, she didn’t let herself add, but, oh, did she want to. Later, they would talk. Yes, the dreaded conversation about feeling and intentions. About the future.

The kiss continued, spinning out of control, their teeth scraping together, as he slipped and slid within her. He released one of her legs to move his hand between their bodies, and pressed his thumb against her clitoris. Just like that, she exploded again, spasming around him.