His Darkest Embrace (Jaguar Warriors 2)

She relaxed against him and he deepened the kiss, passing his tongue along the inside of her mouth, tasting everything that there was and going back for more. He could feel the pressure building inside of him, the need and the want to claim the woman as his. Jagger’s skin began to burn and it added a torturous slash of pain that only elevated the pleasure to something he’d not felt before.

“Stop.”

Dimly, Jagger was aware that she’d spoken against his lips and when she began to push at him in earnest he reluctantly pulled away.

“We can’t do this.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and he had to strain in order to hear her properly.

Jagger smiled down at her. Skye’s lips were swollen from the assault of his mouth, and as she leaned back against the rocks, her chest heaving, he couldn’t help but think she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

And he’d seen a lot.

“You really have no clue what’s going on, do you?” she managed to say between hearty intakes of air.

Jagger stilled at her words. He could play her game. They’d have a good long conversation about the shit they were in, and then he’d make her cry for the kind of mercy only he could give her.

He smiled rakishly, adjusting the heavy appendage, which throbbed like a bitch, so that it pulsed against her belly. “Like I said, enlighten me.”

He could see the internal struggle rifling through Skye. It was written across her face as clear as day. She was conflicted. Didn’t know if she should trust him.

“There’s a war coming and if it happens—if the gates of hell are thrown open …” her voice drifted off into silence and Jagger felt the icy fingers of dread climb up his spine. “If that happens,” she began again, “then humanity is dead. Everything as we know it is dead.”

“Trust me, there’s always a war brewing somewhere in this world. And yeah, dark magick and those that would use their supernatural powers are usually at the heart of it, but it’s just how things are. What’s so different this time? And why the hell are the DaCostas involved?”

Skye closed her eyes and he felt his patience begin to fade along with his passion. “What are you not telling me?”

Once more she stared directly at him and he had the weird sensation that she could see into the very heart of him. Her eyes were massive, huge round bowls of blue sky hung in a pale, delicate face.

They wavered slightly and he heard her breath catch in the back of her throat.

“I can’t, I …”

“Look, if I’m gonna lay my ass on the line and take hits from scum like the DaCostas you better damn well fill me in on everything.”

“I really, I can’t—”

Jagger cut her off savagely, no longer liking their little game. “What do you mean you can’t? Open your mouth and speak.”

Her body was tense and he could feel fear begin to beat at her, but when she spoke h

er voice was calm. “I can’t because there’s a jaguar on the bank directly behind you.”

Jagger stilled at her words.

Slowly he turned around, his large body effectively keeping her hidden from the animal that stood looking at him, its long tail flicking back and forth in clean precise strokes. It growled low, deep from its chest, and barked a challenge.

“And I don’t think it’s friendly,” Skye whispered from behind his back.

Yeah, Jagger thought as his body tightened at the new threat of danger. No shit.

Chapter 7

The animal was large, heavily muscled, and definitely a shifter. Its sleek lines were enhanced by a beautiful series of large rosettes clearly visible against the tawny hide. A spotted jaguar. Not of the warrior class.

Which meant nothing. Any animal with the power and hunting skills that a jaguar possessed was dangerous.

Jagger could sense the humanity locked deep inside even though the cat was at least a hundred yards from him. It paced back and forth along the embankment, its long powerful body humming with an energy that while expected, was more than a little puzzling to Jagger.

It almost felt like the animal was pissed. At him.