She barely heard the phone call, as intent as she was on his presence. On his solid body and the ardent need that pumped through her blood. There had been so much violence, so many changes and horrifying new discoveries since that first night at the nightmare house. She’d witnessed the death of her crush, and then she’d had to kill a friend. She needed to forget, if only for a while. She wanted an act of love to push back the despair of soul-crushing loss.
When they were in her room again, she ran her palms up his hard chest and hooked them around his neck. At his confused expression, she pulled his head—his lips—closer.
Apprehension took over his confusion, but he couldn’t hide the burning desire in his eyes.
He wanted this too. He needed it. But he was an alpha and a gentleman, and so he wanted to do what he thought was right.
“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” he whispered. She knew he was also worried that he’d sex away his regard for her. Which meant he felt something too.
She knew about his history, but this felt deeper than lust. Still, she was a realist. She might be wrong, but if…whatever this was…didn’t last through the morning, it never would’ve lasted anyway.
Her gaze trained on his lush, full lips.
Slowly bending forward, she kissed his pec and ran her hands down his defined six-pack. The cool cotton of her shirt rubbed against her face as she pulled it off. Her bra followed it onto the floor a moment later.
“You’re so beautiful, Charity,” Devon whispered. “You’re…radiant.”
She let her eyes drift closed as he kissed down her neck, then sucked in a breath as his hot mouth closed over her taut nipple. Fire consumed her body. “Hmm, Devon.”
His velvety hands slid over her hips, pausing to remove her pants. She stepped out and then let him walk her back to the bed.
His kiss deepened. His taste, sweet and exotic, delighted her senses. The world around her dropped away.
He pulled the covers down, then scooped her up and laid her on the sheets. His searing touch trailed fire along her inner thighs as he spread her open. She moaned when he followed his hands with his mouth, licking up her center.
Shivers spread across her body, and her breathing increased. His mouth covered her nub. His fingers worked inside of her. She clutched the sheets and arched as the glorious sensations melted her bones.
“Hmm,” she moaned, gyrating up to his mouth. Her body tightened. Her moaning increased in fervency. “Yes, Devon. Almost…” Words fled. Her body flexed as if she held an electric wire. His touch was her sole focus—nothing existed outside of his delicious ministrations.
“Oh!” Powerful shudders rocked her. Fused her teeth together. Pure pleasure vibrated within her. She convulsed from the explosion in her body.
“Holy crap,” Charity said, out of breath. She shuddered again with an aftershock of that incredible pleasure. “Wow.”
Devon kissed up her stomach. His tricky tongue flicked her nipple before he sucked it in. Intense sensation speared directly through her body.
“You’re perfect,” he said softly. Almost reverently. When he nibbled her bottom lip and settled his weight on top of her, a strange gravity stole over her. Something about this situation felt so right. Like a piece she’d been missing had finally found its place and connected to the whole.
His searing length rested against her hip. When he moved, it dragged along her slick sex. She sighed as her body wound tighter. He rose, resting on his elbows to either side of her face.
“I care about you, Charity,” he said. “A lot. But sometimes intimacy breaks me.” Sadness consumed his expression, and then it morphed to something else. He almost looked lost. “I want you so bad. You need to know that. But I might shut off if we go through with this. I don’t want to hurt you. Knowing what I am—how I deal with things—are you sure you want to take the next step?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
His gaze traveled her face. Longing replaced his earlier emotions. “Okay.”
Their kiss increased in intensity, sucking her into a place she’d never been before. Her stomach fluttered with nervousness when she felt his tip prod her opening. She’d only ever been with one man.
“Do we need protection?” he murmured against her lips. “I can’t get human diseases. You probably can’t either, because of the magic. But I can still get you pregnant.”
A strange lightness came over her. She ran her palms along his smooth back, feeling the bulge and play of muscle as he shifted. “I never went off the pill. I’m good. Though nervous.”
His lips curled into a smile against hers. “We’ll go slow,” he whispered. “I’ll always protect you, Chastity, regardless of what happens after…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, probably not wanting to dampen the mood. Instead, he kissed her, a deep kiss full of a longing that stole her breath as well as her heart. She fell into the moment without any reservations. Gave him everything she had without regret. Without worrying what might come.