“Please?” he whispered hoarsely. “Babe, you don’t need to beg.”
And then he took what he wanted, his mouth claiming hers even as she started to protest once more.
Her softness opened for him, his mouth eating her words as he plunged his tongue into the warm, wetness within. She tasted like sin, just as he remembered, and she shuddered against him, whimpering as his fingers sought the hot button buried within her slick folds.
The darkness that crept along the edges of his mind continued to grow, and he felt a punishing thirst awaken inside him. He felt the need to mark her once more, to inflict his will upon her in such a way that she’d never forget to whom she belonged.
As the crazy thoughts continued to circle his brain, he deepened the kiss, taking, tasting, what was his. She moaned into his mouth, and his right hand crept up along her back, up to her neck, until he buried his fingers within the softness of her hair.
He held her head in place as his mouth continued to drink from the softness of her lips, and when she opened fully beneath him, when her tongue welcomed his with equal fervor, and she ground her hotness beneath his fingers, he saw red.
He felt as if he were coming apart. His insides quaked, running hot and cold all at once, and the pain that ripped across his chest only added to the exquisite torture.
“Oh God,” she whispered into his mouth. “I can’t . . . not with you.”
Her spoken words startled him, as did the intensity, the need, and he pulled back, welcoming the coolness that ran across his lips as the heat of her left him.
Ragged breaths fell from between his lips as his eyes focused on the swollen red of hers. They stared at each other, long and hard, and she squirmed against him as his confused emotions pounded him. What the hell did all of this mean?
What did he want it to mean?
She exhaled slowly, and the passion melted from her eyes, her face going blank as she stilled beneath his touch. She pushed against him, and he let her go, not really understanding what had just happened.
The pain inside him tripled, fire lashing against his chest as he watched her walk away from him, her hands smoothing the lines of her dress and pushing the mass of hair behind her shoulders.
She pressed the elevator button, and the doors slid open silently.
“Thanks,” she said softly.
Julian arched an eyebrow and answered. “For what?” he said harshly, barely able to get the words out.
She stepped inside and turned to face him with a smile though her eyes flashed a furious glint. “I can skip dinner and head directly for dessert.” Her hands slowly ran over her still-erect nipples, and Julian hissed, feeling a pull deep in his cock as she did so.
“Hopefully, Kragen will be enough to satisfy, but I have a feeling he’s a little too vanilla for my tastes.” Her meaning brought such darkness to his mind that Julian growled, welcoming the burn as it rippled along his flesh.
The doors started to close.
“I might have to search out some dark chocolate.”
He lunged forward, a snarl falling from his lips, but the doors closed before he could get to her.
Julian growled loudly as he stood there, legs spread, hands clenched to his sides, sporting the most painful hard-on he’d ever had.
He began to pace, a furious need inside him banishing all else from his mind, and as the cool night breeze drifted in from the balcony, he paused. The night air calmed him somewhat, the sounds and smells of the land and surrounding sea deeply embedded in his psyche.
The sudden urge to shed his skin and run wild called to him, and he grabbed at his clothes.
Seconds later, he stood crouched upon the railing of Jaden’s balcony as he stared down into the darkness below. The path that ran along the back of the building was empty, the cobblestones lit by a soft lamp several feet away.
Deep throngs of mist crawled along his body, the heavy magick caressing hard lines as he stood and spread out his arms. Inside his soul, where the ravaged half still lived, his jaguar growled in delight, eager to run.
Eager to hunt.
Moonlight fell in soft beams from above and was the only witness as Julian jumped. His body flew through the air, twisting gracefully as bones popped and elongated, the magick caressing every inch of him as he hurtled toward the ground.
He’d flown from the balcony a man, but it was a powerful jaguar that landed easily on all fours to the left of the path, deep in the soft foliage that was there.
The great cat stood still for several seconds, scenting the wind until he found the one he was looking for.