"We're in for it now, Ginny," Colby De La Cruz said with a small sigh as she braided her younger sister's hair. "Rafael is going to be crazy now. He hardly lets me out of his sight as it is. And I was just making progress too." She cast a quick glance at Rafael, her lifemate, pacing furiously the length of the room, every now and then casting her a smoldering, warning look.

"Why is he so upset?" Ginny asked.

"Your Aunt Juliette was injured."

Rafael spun around, his dark eyes flashing with anger. "Your Aunt Juliette disobeyed a direct order from her lifemate. She ignored her own safety and nearly got both of them killed."

Ginny gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. "Are they all right, Rafael?"

"They're both fine," Colby answered, glaring at her lifemate. "There's no need to try to scare her to death."

"There's every need," Rafael declared, reaching out a hand to tangle it in the mass of red-gold hair surrounding Colby's face. "And just who are these kids-that boy over here? What do we know about him?"

"You mean Josef?" Ginny asked. "He's nice."

Rafael's scowl deepened. She does not need to be thinking that boy is nice. I do not want her around boys at all.

Colby sighed. Ginny is not yet in her teens and she's human. I hardly think Josef is going to look at her that way.

I looked at you that way.

I'm a grown woman and in any case, Paul is with Josef. You know her brother would never allow anything improper.

I'm going to go show my teeth to that young man. If he knows what's good for him, he'll go home. Rafael stalked from the room, his face set in harsh lines, his jaw stubborn. "And wear your hair down tonight for this thing. I like it that way."

Colby rolled her eyes at Ginny. "That man has way too much testosterone. He's going to scare Josef."

"Why?"

"Because Josef might look at you wrong. Lord help you when you get old enough to date, Ginny. I think he'll have ten bodyguards-all female-surrounding you."

"All my friends are afraid of him," Ginny conceded, "but he's always sweet to me. And Paul spends most of his time with Rafael."

"I know, baby, he's really great, but he does love to order us all around."

"Not like his brothers. Well, except for Uncle Riordan. He's nice, but the rest of them are scary."

The half smile faded from Colby's face. "Scary how? None of them are mean to you, are they? They are sworn to protect you and Paul. Rafael promised me." It was difficult to integrate her human family with her Carpathian one, but Colby thought they were working things out fairly well. Unfortunately, Rafael had four brothers and only Riordan had found his lifemate. And that meant the other three brothers were extremely dangerous. Manolito was close by. Zacharias and Nicholas were in Brazil overseeing the ranch near the rainforest. Colby was certain neither trusted themselves around so many others. They were too close to turning.

"They aren't mean to me," Ginny denied hastily. "I just don't like to be around them very much. They're just scary. It was kind of nice coming here because they didn't come with us. They're always watching me."

Colby sank into a chair at the kitchen table. "Baby, you know if you're unhappy, all you have to do is say the word and we go home to our ranch in the United States."

"No! I love living in Brazil. I can even speak the language-a little. Paul's helping me and so are my uncles. I love the ranch and the rainforest and all the animals. I don't want to go back-really."

"Hey chick-a-dee." Paul strode in and pulled his sister's braid. "Why are you hiding in here with Colby? Everyone came over so we could all get to know each other."

"Are they having a good time?" Colby asked.

Paul grinned at her. "Well, we are now that Rafael came in to scare the heck out of Josef. He's sharpening a knife, but Josef isn't paying attention and all the kids think it's funny."

"Oh, dear."

"I'm going to go see," Ginny said cheerfully, and skipped out of the room.

Paul sat opposite Colby. She studied his face. Some of the lines that shouldn't have been there were smooth again, but he still looked too old for his seventeen years. "What is it, hon?"

"You know how Mom was always so smart? I mean really smart. Not ranch smart, but book smart? Chemistry, physics, that kind of smart?"

"Which you have clearly inherited."

"What do you know about her family? There's a man here with the same last name as our mother and he looks like her. Well, she's prettier, but they really do look alike and they say he's really smart. He's human, Colby, like me."

"Does it bother you that I'm Carpathian and you're not? Rafael allowed you to keep all your memories because that's what you wanted, but if it makes you feel too different..." She trailed off. There was no way for Paul to become Carpathian. As far as she knew, he had no psychic ability whatsoever. Ginny hadn't displayed any either. Colby had a different father and one who had come from a direct line to the Carpathians.

Razvan. She didn't want to think about him, didn't want to ever admit that he had been her birth father. Razvan was grandson of the dark mage Xavier, mortal enemy to all Carpathians. Long ago, Xavier, the most powerful mage, had taken on a gifted Carpathian student, Rhiannon. He murdered her lifemate, kidnapped and impregnated her, igniting a terrible war. Triplets were born, Soren, and his two sisters now lost. Razvan and Natalya were Soren's children. Razvan had betrayed his Carpathian blood, blood of the famed Dragonseekers no less, betrayed his twin sister, succumbed to the lure of black magic, joined with the vampires and led them in a plot to assassinate the prince. It shamed her to think she carried Razvan's genetics, especially now that she had come to the Carpathian mountains and met so many of Rafael's people.

"No, I like that you re Carpathian, Colby, it's kind of cool." Paul raked a hand through

his hair. "And I love where we live and Dad's brothers, but if this man, Gary Jansen, is related in any way to mom, I want to know him. And I want to know why we were never in his life."

"Have you asked around about him?"

Paul nodded. "Rafael told me his name and said that he's friends with Gregori. Apparently, he does a lot of research. You're older than me. Do you remember Mom ever talking about her family? Did you meet any of them?"

Colby shoved both hands through her thick mass of hair in agitation. "I remember a little bit, Paul, and none of it was good." It was painful to remember the past, and even though Colby had thought those days of feeling inadequate were gone forever, finding out that Razvan was her father had made them all come back.

"In what way?" Paul persisted.

Rafael appeared beside Colby, tall and strong; his face could have been carved from a statue, finely chiseled with great care around his sensual mouth. Every evening when she woke, when she saw him like this-a warrior, her lover-she always felt such a rush of emotion, almost overwhelming. Rafael looked at the world with ice-cold eyes and at her with hunger and love. For a woman who never quite fit in anywhere, it seemed a miracle. His arms now circled her, pulling her right up out of the chair, his larger frame nearly completely engulfing hers as he tucked her into the shelter of his body.

I do not like these thoughts. You did nothing wrong as a child. It is best not to think of these things when it brings you so much pain.

Paul has a right to know certain things.

About her. About her father. About their mother. She laid her head against Rafael's chest. It was all so complicated, and her background was rather humiliating. She didn't want Paul to be ashamed.

She had been the one to insist on coming to the Carpathian Mountains for the big celebration. She thought it was important to get to know other Carpathians and be just a little more social. The ranch in South America was isolated, enormous, and the De La Cruz brothers were treated like royalty-feared, but still given far too much deference. Colby thought it would be good to remind them they weren't the only ones in the world with gifts and duties. Now old wounds were being torn open on the very night when she had hoped to solidify their place in a community. She had to delve into the past and tell Paul the truth about their mother's family.

Rafael hissed his displeasure in her ear. "You do not need to prove to anyone that you are worthy of belonging. You belong with me."

"I know." She rubbed her face against his chest. "I just want Paul and Ginny to feel they

belong."

Rafael caught her chin and lifted her face to his. "They have always had a sense of belonging. With you. You provided for them when no one else would, gave them a home and love and security. Few could have done what you did at such a young age."

Paul came around the table and put his arms around both of them. "Colby, did I upset you with my questions? I'm not looking for another family. I love the one I have. I don't understand what's wrong with you, but you've been acting upset and restless for the last hour. I've been afraid to leave you alone for too long." He looked at Rafael for confirmation.

Colby took a deep breath and pressed her hands against her churning stomach. "Everyone has secrets, Paul. I never wanted you to feel different. I've watched you and Ginny for any signs of being unusual-especially you-but you both seem to be very normal, without psychic gifts and without any ability to shapeshift." Her fingers clung to Rafael's shirt.

He brought up one hand to the nape of her neck, strong fingers easing the tension out of her. "I always thought shapeshifting was normal," he said.

"Well, it's not for us," Colby said. She was near tears. Paul had so much to contend with. He was a young teenage boy, yet he had worked a ranch nearly all of his life, hard, backbreaking work. They'd lost their mother and eventually Paul and Ginny's father to an accident, and the three alone had kept the ranch going.

"I started showing signs of psychic ability very early. I could sense dangerous things, especially if I was upset," Colby confessed in a little rush. "Mom admitted to me that my father was 'different.' That's all she said at first. But then later, when I was about thirteen, she told me she was 'different' too. And that we had to be very careful. We could never let anyone see the things we could do and that I always had to watch you, Paul, to make certain that you didn't behave irresponsibly."

"What does that mean?" Paul demanded with a small frown.

Colby took a deep breath. "It means we carry jaguar blood. Our family, hundreds of years ago, were shapeshifters. The men didn't stay with the women and eventually the species began to die out. There are very few who can actually shift into their cat form now, but many people carry the genetics. Some of the men still able to shift have been hunting for women to keep the line as pure as possible. They aren't very nice men."

"And Mom thought I might be one of these guys?" Paul was clearly offended. "I respect women. I'm always respectful."

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm not saying this very well. Mom wasn't married to my father when she had me. Your father's family didn't want anything to do with her-or me¨C because of that." She broke off abruptly.

Rafael took over. "Colby has never felt accepted in any world, Paul, and she didn't want that for you. Neither did your mother. Your mother hid her differences, and Colby did the same." He gestured around him. "Here, being atypical is normal."

"Do you really think anyone feels normal?" Paul asked. "I didn't know all this-that I have jaguar blood-although that could be cool especially now, but look at Josef. He's a Carpathian, can shapeshift and do all sorts of neat things. He's brilliant. You should see the things he can do on a computer, and he's a math whiz. He just is kind of nerdy around people. He doesn't feel good about himself at all. He knows the adults don't like him and he feels uncomfortable around all of us teenagers. Skyler is beautiful, but she's uncomfortable too. Ginny and I are the only 'normal' ones and we should be the outsiders."

"Sometimes you're brilliant, Paul," Colby exclaimed.

"I think it doesn't matter much about what we are or where we came from, Colby," Paul replied. "I think we all feel uncomfortable when we're young."

"I didn't," Rafael said.

Colby smacked his chest. "You're so arrogant."

"I don't think he was actually ever young," Paul said. "I'm not even sure anyone gave birth to him. They found him under a rock."

Rafael caught Paul around the neck and pretended to strangle him. Colby watched the two of them laughing together and found the tension ebbing away.

You did a great job raising this boy, Rafael told her.

She nodded. He's wonderful.

"So do you think most of the psychics are descendents of shapeshifters?" Paul asked. "I could do some research on that. I'll bet Josef would help me."

Rafael shrugged. "It is possible-even probable-but any time you do research, you leave a trail for someone else to follow. We are most careful of tracks leading to the discovery of our species. And you're making me feel guilty over this Josef boy."

Paul flashed a grin at his brother-in-law. "Don't worry, he didn't notice you were sharpening your knife for his benefit. I told you, in social situations he doesn't have a clue." He burst out laughing when Rafael looked disappointed. "I noticed, and so did Skyler and Josh. We all thought it was very scary."

"You don't sound convincing," Rafael grumbled.

Colby laughed softly. "You should be happy you didn't scare the boy."

"I want to meet him," Paul said abruptly, as if he'd just managed to screw up his courage. "If Gary Jansen is my uncle, I want to meet him."

"We don't know that he is. Lots of people have the same last name," Colby pointed out, the smile fading from her face. Instinctively, she moved closer to Rafael, her body brushing up against his.

"But it's likely, Colby. This is a small community of people. He's part of it. Quite a few of the women here seem to have jaguar blood. Maybe he does too and that's what drew him in the first place."

Rafael rubbed her arm in a comforting gesture. "Maybe. All right. Give me a little time to finish things here first," Colby said.

Suddenly, her kitchen was too small. She needed the open range and a good horse to ride. Her mother had always feared jaguar blood, feared producing a male child. Jaguar males weren't always the nicest of men, and Colby didn't want Paul exposed to any more danger-or rejection. And she certainly didn't want anyone influencing him in the wrong direction. Raising children was definitely not easy.

Paul leaned over to kiss her cheek, then sauntered out of the room, calling for Josef and Ginny.

"You can't protect him forever," Rafael said gently. He wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling the top of her head with his chin.

"You say that, but you try to protect me-and Ginny. I just don't want him hurt anymore. I see it in his eyes sometimes. He wouldn't let you or Nicolas take his memories, and he remembers how the vampire took him over and used him to try to kill me. I know he still has nightmares about it. I just want him to be happy, Rafael. He's such a great kid."

He tipped her face up to his. "He is a great kid and he's going to be fine. We'll look after him together."

Her gaze slid away from his. "I couldn't bear to tell him the truth about me, about Razvan. I thought this would be such a good idea, coming here, meeting everyone, but now, I'm not so sure. Someone is bound to tell him who my birth father was."

"Do you think your brother would care about that?" Rafael scowled at her. "Paul loves you for who you are, not who your father was."

"You don't understand. He's asking about his past for a reason, and once he starts delving into it, he'll find out about me. I couldn't take it if he rejected me too. And how could I ever blame him? He's had so much to contend with because of me. If Mom hadn't had me, Paul and Ginny would have been accepted by the Chevez family and raised on the ranch in South America. He would never have been exposed to a vampire. Now he knows about the jaguar blood and once he finds out it isn't always so cool, he won't be happy about that

either. And someone is going to tell him about Razvan." She shuddered, looked around and lowered her voice when she said the name. "I can hardly face any of these people, let alone have Paul and Ginny find out that such a terrible man is my father."

Rafael's hand came up to burrow his fingers in her hair. "You are his victim just as his sister was. Do not be ashamed of who your father was. You bear the mark of the Dragonseeker, and that is an unbelievable boon. The Dragonseeker clan is one of the most revered of all Carpathian lineages and it is your line. I hope that each of our children bears that mark. You should be proud of it, not ashamed."

"My father came from the same lineage and he tried to assassinate the prince,"' she pointed out. "He betrayed Natalya, his twin sister. He has children-like me-scattered across the world, and he intended to use us like blood banks. I have family I've never met, all victims of this man. His blood runs in my veins. Do you really think I want Paul-or anyone else-to know I'm related to him?"

Rafael gathered her closer to him. "I know you're related to him. Carpathian males perhaps have more understanding than most for those who become wholly evil. It is a path we all go down, and some touch a little closer than others. Before you came into my life, Colby, I could not always tell the difference between good and evil."

"Razvan nearly killed the prince," she repeated. "He took blood from little girls. It was why he got my mother pregnant in the first place-in order to use my blood to sustain his life."

Rafael could hear the horror in her voice. Colby still had trouble accepting the evil in their world, and he loved her all the more for her innocence. He took her hand and tugged, pulling her from the openness of the kitchen to the stairs leading to the privacy of their chamber belowground.

"We can't leave the children," Colby protested.

"You're always so responsible. I've directed Paul to be a good host. You need a few minutes without all the noise."

"I need our ranch. Wouldn't you love to go horseback riding in all this snow?"

"Is that what you'd like to do?"

She shook her head. "We don't have time. The dinner is in just a little while. And we're supposed to be entertaining the kids."

He reversed direction. "If you want to go riding..."

"It's snowing, silly." There was a wealth of love in her voice. Rafael, for all his domineering ways, always tried to give her whatever would make her happy. "And horses don't see that well at night."

He laughed softly and leaned down to place his lips against her ear. "I am Carpathian, pequena, and I can provide whatever you want. Come with me."

Colby went because she could never resist Rafael or the way his black eyes burned with such hunger for her. As she stepped outside, he wrapped her in a fur-lined full-length hooded coat and boots. Just outside the walkway, standing by the porch, a horse sidestepped, tossing its head, eager to be running. The animal was at least seventeen hands, with hooves made to run in the snow. Rafael swung onto its bare back and reached his arm down to her.

"This is a night rider, Colby, and he loves to run."

She took his arm, allowing him to swing her up in front of him. "Go fast, Rafael, I want to fly across the ground tonight."

His arms caged her in and he bent his body protectively over hers, whispering a command to the snorting animal. The horse took off, powerful muscles bunching as he leapt forward. After the first explosive burst of speed, the horse's gait settled into a rhythmic gallop and they raced flat out across the open meadow. Snow hit their faces and the wind whistled past them. Clouds spun overhead and it should have been dark, but the snow made the world a bright, sparkling dream of a place.

"This land is breathtaking," Colby said. "Do you miss it?"

"At first, all of us did, but we've been so long where we are that the rain forest and the heat and humidity are our home. This is beautiful and wonderful to visit, but it no longer feels like home to me."

Colby turned her face up to the night sky. Rafael loved the rain forest, but he would have given it up-given up living with his brothers on their ranch-had she wanted to stay in the United States. Though she hadn't believed it when Rafael first claimed her, now, knowing his every thought, she realized just how much power she wielded when it came to her lifemate.

He gave her total acceptance and unconditional love. She pressed back against him allowing the rhythm of the horse to soothe her.

The animal knew his way, and twice leapt effortlessly over fallen logs and splashed through a small creek bed. He slowed when they were near the woods and hills, where she could see the ferns and shrubbery poking through several drifts of snow.

The world was silent here. Only their breathing could be heard in the night. There was only the feel of Rafael's arms around her and the crystal world with gently drifting snow¨C almost surreal.

"It doesn't seem possible that danger could be lurking so close, does it?" she whispered, afraid if she spoke too loud it would break the spell.

"There is only the two of us, Colby." He kissed the back of her neck. "Just us, alone in this world. Nothing evil and no shame, only a man who loves you above all else." His arms tightened around her as if he could keep her safe from anything-even her own feelings of inadequacy.

Colby fit her body more closely to his. Why did she feel inadequate? Was it what Paul had said? That most people just did? Or was it the fact that she'd never had a childhood? She suddenly sat up a little straighter. "Rafael. I'm like Josef."

He snorted, began to choke, sputter and cough all at the same time.

Colby swung around to look at him over her shoulder. "No, I am. I never developed social skills at all. I worked all the time and I had to hide who and what I was. Don't you see? I'm still doing it. I don't want anyone to know about Razvan, so I hide away, feeling ashamed. I don't have to go out and meet all these people-people you know and grew up with. People I'm afraid might wonder why someone as talented and gifted as you would choose to be with someone like me. I'm a teenager, struggling to find myself. That is just plain pitiful."

"I think this is all a conspiracy to make me feel more guilt because I tried to scare that boy. I'm not apologizing to him. He shouldn't have been ogling Ginny."

"I'm sure he didn't ogle her. He wants to be friends."

"Men never want to be friends, Colby." His hands slid under the coat to cup her breasts, his thumbs brushing her nipples as the horse circled back toward the house. "Our minds are too preoccupied with other much more pleasant things than friendship."

"You mean your mind is," Colby answered. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling of his hands caressing her body. Both of them were highly sexual, and Rafael rarely went too long without sliding his hands possessively over her body. He couldn't walk past her without his palm cupping her bottom, or brushing her breast. Sometimes, she leaned against him and rubbed enticingly like a cat, loving the feeling of his body growing rock hard and knowing it was all for her. Like now.

The motion of the horse created a wonderful friction with her wedged between his open legs. Her gaze met his, and instantly she felt a thrill run down her spine. He was looking at her with that urgent hunger, so intense, so in need, everything in her body reached out in response. She tilted her head so she could nibble at his chin, further provoking him.

For a woman who had done nothing her entire life but be responsible, it was wonderful to have no inhibitions, to be able to just be whatever she wanted when she was with Rafael. She reached behind her and deliberately stroked the hard bulge forming in the front of his trousers.

Maybe she wasn't so sure of herself with others, but that wasn't the case when she was in

her own home. Rafael was an extremely dominant man, yet she could stand up to him and knew always that he loved and desired her. She had Ginny and Paul and they both loved her for who she was. Maybe it was time to stop hiding from herself. She was no longer afraid of her own power. She knew what she wanted and she knew she was strong enough and determined enough to go after it. Razvan may have fallen a long way from grace, but he had passed on a legacy of gifts she couldn't deny. And so had her mother. She had to give Paul and Ginny the opportunity to embrace those gifts-not run from them.

"You'll do the right thing," Rafael murmured against her ear. "You always find the right answer for them. Jaguar traits are not all bad, and you want them to love that part of themselves. They may have great gifts and we can help them develop them, and if there are things that are difficult to deal with-well-we both know about them too. We can guide them together, Colby."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I haven't done anything."

"Of course you have. You knew I needed to work this out to do the right thing for the kids and in order to do that, I had to believe in myself."

"I took you for a ride on a horse."

"You gave me a dream."

He was silent for a moment, urging the horse back toward the house, listening to the sounds of the hooves crunching the snow. "So this other boy. This Josef. Tell me about him."

Colby hid her smile. Rafael liked to be such a tough guy, but deep inside he was a marshmallow.

He leaned forward. I caught that thought. I am going to make you pay for that.

Excitement zinged through her body and heated her bloodstream. I always so enjoy your little punishments. She turned her head to lift her mouth to his. It was more than awkward kissing on a horse, but they managed it, and as always, liquid fire poured through her veins and love seemed to flood her mind to the point of spilling over.

"Josef is Byron's nephew. He seems young for his age. I think he's barely out of his teens."

"That is a babe by our standards," Rafael pointed out, his fingers anchoring in her hair. "Where did Paul and Ginny meet him?"

"Online. They all correspond. Skyler, Paul, Ginny, Josh and Josef. Some of the adults play video games online with them. But they've all become great friends. They were very

much looking forward to meeting in person. I think Josef has a difficult time because he is a little older in age, but not maturity, yet everyone expects it of him."

Rafael sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try to get to know the boy."

"You really are a marshmallow," she teased, knowing he would retaliate. Wanting him to. Anticipating it. Her body was suddenly pulsing with energy-with need. Rafael exuded sex, his mouth sinfully sensual, his good looks wickedly masculine. She loved the way he wore his clothes, his hard stomach flat and his hips and the columns of his thighs encased in denim. His eyes were heavy-lidded and black as night, holding a seduction all their own.

Immediately, she felt overheated and sensitive, her body flooding with urgent need. His hand cupped her neck, drew her head back so his mouth could claim hers. She sat in the cradle of his hips, his erection pressed tightly against her buttocks, his arm over her breasts and his mouth rough, his tongue a velvet rasp of excitement, stroking and teasing, licking at her skin, teeth nibbling gently.

Just like that her body responded, heat spreading like liquid gold through her veins. She wanted him so bad she could taste it.

I want you too. But you deserve to suffer a little bit.

Beneath the fur-lined coat, her clothes were gone, leaving her body exposed and vulnerable to his wandering hands. He slipped his hands inside the coat, guiding the horse with his legs. His palm slid along her thigh, and her breath hitched in her throat.

"What are you doing?"

"Whatever I want." His voice had turned husky, almost hoarse, and the heat from his fingers was in direct contrast to the chill in the air.

Her blood heated instantly, her core pulsing with excitement. His fingers began a slow, almost lazy circle, occasionally brushing her most sensitive spot. A low moan escaped. The fur slid along her skin, sensitizing her nerve endings even more. He kissed her again, lifted his head, but held her face toward his with one hand while the other moved over her damp curls.

"Look at me, querida. Keep looking at me," he commanded.

She always loved that about him. He wanted her to know who possessed her-who loved her-who drove her out of her mind with pleasure. And she loved to look at him, to see his fierce hunger, his stark desire for her, the lines of lust etched deep, the burn in his eyes as he took her.

His finger sank deep, drew out creamy honey. "I love how you get so wet for me. You're always so tight and hot and wet." He licked his finger with a slow seductive stroke of his tongue, never taking his gaze from hers, and returned to burrow his fingers deeper in her

feminine channel.

The horse stopped moving, simply remaining still while Rafael pushed his fingers deeper, filling her so that she gasped with pleasure. He stroked her over and over, teasing the tight folds, caressing the inner knot of nerve endings until she was gasping, crying out for release, but then the wicked fingers retreated. He caught her in his arms and slid off the horse. Setting her feet on the ground, his arm locking her to him, he talked softly to the animal and then sent it on its way. They watched the horse gallop back up toward the hills.

Colby blinked and looked around her, still dazed and still pulsing with a terrible hunger. She wanted him so much, she was afraid she couldn't take a step. Rafael simply swept her into his arms and moved with the blurring speed of his kind through the house to their underground chamber.

Heart pounding when he set her free, Colby looked around at the room designed not only for sleeping, but for playing. She stood in the middle of the room dressed only in the coat, the edges gaping open to reveal her full breasts and the red curls at the junction of her legs. She was so damp, so hot. So in need. She could barely breathe with her need.

"Come here, pequena. I have waited too long for your body." He held out his hand to her.

She always felt so mesmerized by him, so willing to do whatever he asked of her. She loved the feel of his hands on her far too much. "I think I'm obsessed with you." She put her hand in his and he jerked her to him, spinning her around, pushing her back against the wall and trapping her between his body and the hard surface.

"It is good for you to be obsessed." His fingers trailed down her face, across her neck to her throat. The pads of his fingers teased her bare skin, sending little flames dancing through her body. Without warning, he yanked the coat from her body, exposing the soft creamy flesh beneath. "You always wear too many clothes."

Her heart began to pound in response to his intensity. He could always do that to her, take away her balance when it came to their sexual encounters. "Would you like me to go naked in front of all of our company?"

He growled low in his throat, bared his teeth, then leaned forward and gently bit down on her nipple, dragging his teeth back and forth until she moaned. "If I had my way, I would choose a time in history when I could simply lock you up, keep you safe and to myself, never share you." He pinned her wrists together above her head. "I would keep you in shackles, chained to my bed, completely naked waiting for me, always wanting me."

His hands cupped her breasts and lifted them as he bent his head to feast. His mouth was already hot, his tongue lapping wickedly, his teeth scraping and teasing, his mouth suckling strongly. Most of the time, he took great care to pay attention to every nuance of her mind, ensuring everything he did was exactly the way she liked, but sometimes, when his demons and petty jealousies were riding him just a little too hard, he allowed himself the freedom of

taking her body the way he wanted. Fast and hard and rough.

Excitement always coursed through her mind-and maybe a little fear. He would never hurt her, but he always demanded submission-he always pushed her sexually. He was greedy for her. He wanted to know she would love him no matter what, that she would give him everything, that she would hold nothing back. But in the end, nothing mattered to him so much as her pleasure and he always-always-gave that to her tenfold.

Rafael dropped to his knees, hands pushing her thighs apart and dragging her hips forward so his mouth could devour her. His tongue stabbed deep, drew out cream, and he began licking and sucking while her hips bucked against his mouth and her hands tangled in his hair. She screamed as the first wave rushed over her. The almost desperate sounds he made drove her right over the edge. Spasm after spasm rocked her.

He tumbled her to the bed, following her down, skin to skin, thrusting his knee between her thighs to keep her open to him. He surged forward with one hard stroke, burying himself deep, driving through the soft velvet folds until he hit her womb. He tilted her hips, pushing deeper, forcing her to take all of him. He swore softly as her body, so tight and hot, grasped his, squeezing and milking and sending fire racing down his spine. Lightning sizzled in his bloodstream and whipped through his body. He began to piston, driving with his hips, sinking deep into the refuge of her body, reveling in the way her muscles tightened like a fist, holding him to her.

He thrust hard, over and over, ignoring her helpless pleas as he took her higher and higher, building the pleasure until she was whimpering for release, pleading with him to take her over the edge. She began to throw her head back and forth, struggling against the terrible sexual tension, but he held her still, plunging his body into hers, taking them both to a fever pitch of need. Then she was screaming, as her body shattered around his, as jet after jet of heat filled her and her womb convulsed with shocking pleasure. It spread through her like a tornado, taking her body by surprise, ripping through her vaginal walls, down her thighs and up into her stomach.

She lay gasping for breath, staring up at the man she loved above all else in the world¨C the man who loved and accepted her for who she was. Bloodlines or not, Rafael loved her and that was enough for her. She could feel confident in herself no matter what because he loved her unconditionally.