His Darkest Hunger (Jaguar Warriors 1)

You’d think with a storm brewing, the thick humidity would break, but quite the opposite had happened. Jaxon gently pushed the mass of hair from Libby’s eyes and ran his fingers over her face. Small ripples of pleasure crept over her skin, and in spite of everything, she felt a burst of emotion well up from deep inside her chest.

How she loved this man. Every single cell in her body was screaming for his touch. For his taste. Libby turned toward him and let his strong arms pull her into his hard embrace. She rested her cheek against his chest, loving the sound of his heart beating steadily beneath his flesh.

He belonged to her, and she to him. At the end of the day, that’s what it boiled down to. It was that simple. She needed him to breathe, and to live and to love.

“You must be exhausted. Cracker has food for you.”

They both turned toward Julian, whose concern was clearly evident. Jaxon embraced his older brother and murmured something into his ear. Libby watched as pain flickered across Julian’s face, then she heard Jaxon swear under h

is breath.

“What?” She looked to each brother and felt her belly tighten as they both shook their heads. “What’s happened now?”

Julian paused for a moment, his voice hushed when he finally spoke. “We weren’t able to locate Jagger. I did catch his scent, higher up the mountain. But he seems to have vanished.” Julian looked at his brother and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t understand why he’s not come back to us.”

“What do you mean?” Libby asked as both men remained quiet, and was about to protest when she remembered the blasts she’d heard the previous evening. “Is he hurt?” she asked instead. “Captured? What?”

She looked at them and shook her head. Jagger lost? Out here in the jungle?

“Jagger will come to us when he’s ready,” Jaxon finally said. Though upset, he tried to smile, and gently took her into his embrace as he led her toward the tent. It was the same one they’d shared less than twenty-four hours earlier.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“I think we’re all forgetting that Jagger is a warrior and a highly trained combat soldier,” Jaxon said. “He’s the best at what he does. Believe me. He’s been in worse situations than this. He’ll be fine.”

Libby hoped he was right. She’d never be able to forgive herself if something happened to his brother.

They entered the tent and she flopped onto the bedroll, wincing as the pain in her side began to throb. It very well could have been there all along, but the adrenaline that had gotten her through the past day was dwindling. She was tired, hungry, and emotionally weak.

Cracker slipped in behind them. She heard more whispering but didn’t care what they were saying. The smell of food wafted over to her, and she rolled over, reaching hungrily for the plate that he’d brought with him.

She began to stuff her mouth full of bread, not tasting anything as she wolfed down the nourishment it provided. A warm mug of coffee was given to her, and she closed her eyes, relishing the warm liquid as it slipped down her throat.

“I’m glad to see you made it back in one piece, missy. Don’t be doing that again, or you’re going to give old Cracker here a heart attack.”

Libby’s eyes flew open and a tired smile crept over her features as she gazed up at his craggy face. For such a large and fierce-looking man, he’d always had the kindest soul. “Thanks, Cracker.”

He nodded and abruptly turned away, and a few seconds later Libby and Jaxon were alone.

He looked down at the frail blonde and shook his head slowly as an overwhelming rush of longing sprang from deep inside his chest. She’d been through so much, and yet here she was, still fighting. She truly was a remarkable woman.

And she was all his.

His dark eyes watched her in silence. There were no words. He waited for her to finish eating and ignored the hunger that gnawed tight at his gut. When she was done, her beautiful violet eyes seemed to shimmer, and he felt his soul move, so great was the emotion that rolled through his body. He would take care of her for the rest of her life.

Starting right now.

He reached for a large basin that had been filled with fresh water. A soft cloth had been draped over the edge, and he dipped it into the bowl, then gently wrung the excess moisture from it.

His eyes never left hers as he knelt down beside her, gently cupping her face with his large hand as he slowly began to wipe every trace of the last few hours from her flesh. Her pale skin glistened with the sheen left behind from the cloth, and she closed her eyes as he methodically ran the cloth along her forehead before moving down to her cheeks, chin, and then to her trembling mouth.

Jaxon took his time, and when he was finished, he couldn’t resist. He began to nibble softly, leaving a trail of small butterfly kisses along the contours of her generous lips. He felt her relax, and smiled against her mouth as she opened herself fully to him. He took a small taste but then pushed himself away, feeling a keen sense of power as her eyes flew open once more and she touched her fingers to her mouth.

She was about to speak, but he hushed her, whispering into her ear, “Not yet.”

Libby’s eyes darkened and the small catch in her throat tugged hard at his heart. He reached for her top, and her hands went up automatically, enabling him to whisk the dirty garment from her skin. He felt his groin tighten and had to stifle a moan of his own as her breasts sprang free from the cotton and hung provocatively in front of him.

Like candy, ready to be licked. He couldn’t help himself, and his tongue darted out quickly, before she even knew his intent, circling an engorged nipple then claiming the ripe bud deep into the hot recesses of his mouth.