Dark Promises (Dark 25)

She swallowed hard. She could see the darkness in him. See it stamped on his granite features, the ruthless set of his mouth, but mostly, it was there in his eyes.

"I don't know what I'm doing, but I want to make it good for you. You'll have to help me." She knew they had chemistry, which convinced her they were in fact lifemates, but she didn't love him. She didn't expect that she would enjoy their joining, but she was determined that he would.

He stared down at her for what seemed an eternity. He took a breath. She did, too. Her heart was beating so hard she was afraid she might have a heart attack, but she would save this man. She could see him struggling. She could see he was afraid for her. She knew, without looking into his mind, that he was a good man. She'd brought him to this and if it was the last thing she ever did, she would fix it.

Something flickered in the depths of his eyes. Something very frightening. She knew that was the moment he made up his mind. "I know you do not know me, Gabrielle, but you will be safe in my care. I will make this good for you. I am more animal than man, right now. There is no light in me, but I will do right by you."

She knew that was a warning, she just didn't quite understand what it meant. Still, because he was the scariest man she'd ever met--and many of the Carpathian males were very scary--she nodded her head.

He stepped back from her and at once she felt the loss. He had been her anchor. Her protector, as strange as that sounded. Now, she felt alone and more frightened than ever. His masculine features were hard, his eyes so green they actually appeared to be green fire.

"Remove your clothes for me."

She looked around the room. The stark, cold room, devoid of all furniture. Devoid of all signs of life or love. No warm fire. No field of flowers. No white horse . . .

A long, slow growl rumbled through the room. He was on her in seconds, his fist bunching her hair, dragging her head back. "What did I say to you? That man will not be in this room with us."

"He isn't. I wasn't thinking of him," she denied, tears gathering because her scalp really hurt. There was darkness in him. Set deep. She could see it. She could see he was battling. "Just leftover childish dreams. Please, don't hurt me."

Instantly he loosened his hold on her hair. To her shock, his fingers massaged her scalp, easing the ache. He leaned forward and shocked her further by brushing a kiss over first one eye and then the other. His mouth followed the trail of her tears, sipping at them, removing them with his tongue. It was . . . intimate. So intimate, the brush of his tongue and lips sent another wave of curling heat to her stomach.

"I am sorry, o jela sielamak, it is difficult to control intense emotions after so long without them. You have said you will not tell me an untruth and I choose to believe you. I will have more care with you." His gaze dropped to her eyes. "I have need of you. Right. Now."

He said the last two words against her mouth and then he was kissing her. Not just kissing her. Kissing her. She hadn't known a kiss could be like that. Demanding. Rough. Nearly savage it was so rough. She thought she wanted gentle. She needed gentle. Maybe her mind did, but her body responded to the hunger in his mouth, the harsh, near violent way he devoured her. Flames danced through her body. There was no slow smoldering; his kisses took her straight to the fire.

Her body moved against his restlessly because there was no controlling her response to him. Her clothes hurt her skin. She needed to feel his skin, and she did, slipping her hands under his shirt to slide up his broad back. She could feel every muscle, and that heat--that incredible heat pouring off of him. All the while he kissed her. Claimed her. Put his brand on her. With just his mouth.

He kissed her like a starving man. He kissed her like he owned her. His mouth was hot and demanding. He tasted like paradise. And her body . . . Her body forgot who was in charge. Her brain just shut down. Short-circuited. She kissed him back. Really kissed him. Not just let him sweep her along, but she kissed him, her hands taking in as much of his smooth, hot skin as they could. She couldn't stop herself. She had no idea what she was doing, but somehow, following his lead, she learned fast.

She could tell he liked her kisses because when their tongues tangled, his arms tightened until she was afraid she'd be crushed under his enormous strength, but she didn't want him to stop. Her body had come alive with just his mouth on hers. Alive. Singing. Screaming for more. Every single cell was aware of him. An electrical current seemed to have taken up residence in her bloodstream. She'd never felt anything like it in her life. She hadn't known a woman could feel like that. He moved and she tightened her arms, whimpering a little, trying to keep him there.

He smoothed his hand down her hair as he lifted his head, removing the intricate braid so that her dark hair fell in clouds around her face and down her back. His green eyes were darker. Filled with hunger. Her heart thudded. Her sex spasmed.

"I like your hair down. Wear it down for me."

His mouth was back on hers before she could protest. Not that she was going to protest. She couldn't think past the need to kiss him again. His kisses burned even hotter. His hand went to her throat, tipping back her head while his other arm became an iron bar at her back, pulling her tightly into him.

He lifted his head again. Just inches. Green eyes blazing down into hers. She went up on her toes, trying to follow his mouth.

Aleksei brushed her mouth with his but held back. "Are you going to give me that, Gabrielle? When it is just the two of us, will you give that to me? Your hair down where I can feel it on my body? Against my skin?"

God. God. He robbed her of breath.

"My woman does not say no to me. Not ever. She trusts me to do right by her. Are you going to give me what I want?"

Mesmerized, hypnotized by his dark sensuality, without taking her gaze from his, she nodded.

"And you will not say no to me."

Could she give him that? She didn't know if she was strong enough to make herself into what he wanted or needed. She was so afraid of him. Trusting him was going to be very difficult.

"Gabrielle." His tone told her he was losing patience.

She swallowed her fear and shook her head. "I'll try, Aleksei," she promised.

Instantly he rewarded her, his mouth at hers, breathing fire down her throat so that the flames reached her breasts. So sensitive. So aching. So needy. Just with his mouth on hers.

He tugged at her tee and it disappeared right off her body. Her bra was next. Both of his hands went to her breasts, cupping the soft weight in his palms. A small cry escaped. His touch was rough, not gentle. She didn't expect gentle from him, his kisses were far from that. But she hadn't expected that rough would only make her hotter. Her legs threatened to give out as his mouth traveled over her chin and down her throat.

"I don't think I can stand up," she whispered truthfully.

He took them to the floor, stripping them both as they went down, cushioning her fall, but just barely, his mouth already on her breast. His hand was at her other breast, his fingers rolling and tugging while his mouth suckled strongly. Her hips bucked, the heat building in intensity, forks of lightning streaking from her breasts straight to her sex.

Deep inside the tension began to coil tighter and tighter. Her breath came in gasps. His mouth went to her other breast and his finger was at her nipple. She arched her back, giving him more, needing more, her arms wrapping around his head to cradle him there. The feel of his hair, all that black, salt-and-pepper silk, drove her wild. The sight of him feasting on her was erotic. The strength in his arms and the heat of his mouth fed the fire burning so deep inside.

His mouth left her breasts and began to travel down her body. He kissed under both breasts, her ribs and down to her belly button. His tongue tasted every inch of her as he made his way down her body. His hands were everywhere, his palms sliding over her skin possessively.

Her body was restless. It was too much, yet not enough. Without thinking, she dug her heels into the carpet and tried to slide away. She didn't

know where she was going or what she was going to do, only that if she kept feeling this way, her entire body was going to come apart.

Aleksei growled deep in his throat and his hands went from gliding to gripping. Hard. Her heart jumped at the sudden aggression. She thought he'd been aggressive, but obviously she'd made a mistake and triggered the very dangerous side of him. His head came up and his green eyes glittered at her.

The look on his face frightened her as nothing else could have. She didn't dare move. His features were hard, aroused. His gaze dropped from her face to completely and utterly focus on the junction between her legs. Just the way he looked at her, all that darkness. Stark. Raw. Erotic. Hungry. She couldn't quite get air through her lungs and past her throat.

He was naked. Muscles everywhere. His body hard and hot. His erection was long and thick, throbbing against his stomach. One hand circled the width of it, just for a moment, and she couldn't take her eyes from the sight of that steel spike wrapped by his fist. She didn't see how it could possibly fit inside her. Fear mounted but at the same time she wanted him even more. The hunger and burning need inside of her kept building. Higher. Hotter. Delicious. Terrifying.

"Be still," he growled.