Jaci Burton - Taken by Sin

He swept his hands over her buttocks, the small of her back, and upward, just feeling the softness of her skin. She leaned into him, following his movements, caressing him the way he had done to her. She laid her hands on his shoulders, then swept down his arms, slid her arms around his waist to palm his back. Every move she made was tentative, watching for his reaction.

“Touch me,” he said. “I like it.”

She pushed back, looked at him, and oh, man, did her bold appraisal of his body turn him on. It made patience that much harder. Among other things.

When her gaze swept over his shaft, then up at him, he nodded. She circled him with a light grasp.

“Harder.”

She did, her grip strong. He sucked in a breath of pure pleasure. “Oh, yeah. That’s good. Now move your hand.”

She did, stroking him light and easy at first, then with a firm grasp and steadier movements. He clenched his jaw and held on, letting her explore, learn the feel of him, but God help him it was hard to hold back when all he wanted to do was let go.

Finally, he grasped her wrist. “I don’t want to finish before we start.”

She lifted her gaze to him and quirked a smile. And still, the look on her face was so innocent, it tore him to pieces. He took her mouth, drinking in the taste of her because it had been so damn long since he’d been anywhere near anything so pure.

He held her tight, crushed against him, afraid he was hurting her. But the feelings inside him were so intense he felt like he was losing control. And it was important that he be in control. He pulled away, took a step back.

“What’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Just need to take a breath. Being with you … I kind of lost it there.”

She moved back in. “Quit worrying about whether or not I’ll break, Michael. I’m strong. And I need this. Just love me.”

He nodded, jerked her against him and fell onto his back on the bed, pulling her with him. Not wanting to scare her, he rolled to the side so she faced him, but she surprised him by pulling him on top of her.

“I want to feel your weight on me when you’re inside me.”

Mandy always surprised him. Maybe that’s what attracted him to her. He’d never met a woman like her before.

She braced her hands on his chest, and widened her legs so he could settle between them.

“Now, Michael. I’m tired of waiting. I’ve already waited a lifetime.”

Yeah, she had. And what he was about to do would irrevocably change their relationship.

But right now he couldn’t muster up a single objection to why he shouldn’t, even though there were hundreds. Not when this lush, beautiful woman lay underneath him, lifting her hips in silent invitation.

He positioned himself at her entrance, and thrust. Mandy tilted her head back and gasped, and he stilled, feeling the heat and wetness of her surrounding him, the sensations of her body convulsing around him. He cupped her cheek.

“Mandy. Look at me.”

She opened her eyes, and he closed the gap between them, kissing her deeply sliding his tongue between her parted lips, forcing her attention on their mouths, his tongue. Soon, her tension melted away and he began to move against her, slow and easy until he felt her responding.

He’d never felt anything so perfect, from the way their bodies fit together to the way it felt to be inside her. And Mandy lifted her hips, asking for more, giving him what he needed-more than he ever expected.

Because the look in her eyes was magical, luring him in much more than physically. She drew him closer, with her midnight hair and lush body, and he rocked against her, never wanting this to end. He wanted to stay like this-inside her-a part of her forever. Where there were no demons and no war, only pleasure and kissing and sharing this incredible experience with a woman he felt closer to after such a short period of time than anyone he’d ever known.

Was that even possible?

It had to be, because he felt it, their fingers entwined, their bodies joined, moving in unison as they climbed together. He waited, grinding against her, taking her there again, and when she fell, this time crying out and trembling against him, he went with her, and the orgasm was so powerful the intensity of it shocked him, pouring out of him from every nerve ending, leaving him spent. He collapsed on top of her, breathing so heavily it left him light-headed.

Soaked with sweat, their bodies still tightly strung together, Michael didn’t want to move. Especially since Mandy stroked his hair, one leg slung over his back.

“It would be okay if we ran off together and pretended the rest of the world didn’t exist, right?”

She’d read his mind. “Oh, sure.”

Her laugh rumbled against his chest. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

He finally managed to lift his head. Her lips were too much for him to resist, so he kissed her again, what he thought would be a short peck turning into something deeper, something that made his blood run hot and made him grow hard again.

“We both need another shower,” he said.

Mandy arched a brow. “Time for lesson number two.”

He grinned and got up, pulling her into the bathroom with him, then turned on the shower.

Then his phone went off. He pulled away, staring down at the pile of clothes they’d left on the bathroom floor.

She grasped his wrists. “Don’t.”

The shock of his phone ringing was like a slap of reality. “I have to.” He bent down, fished the phone out of his pocket, frowned at the number. He stood and flipped the phone open.

“Yeah.”

He listened, mentally cursing as Derek filled him on what he’d found.

“We’ll be on the road in an hour. We’ll meet you there tomorrow.” He closed the phone, turned to Mandy

“We’ve got to go,” she said.

With a sigh, he touched his forehead to hers. “Derek’s found Dalton. He’s in Louisiana.”

She inhaled, let it out on a shaky sigh. “Well, this is damned inconvenient.”

Yes and no. He had been so caught up in her, he had almost forgotten his mission. Men should never lead with their dicks. He should have known better.

“Mandy. You have no idea how much I want to … linger here with you. But you and I both know this can never be.”

The soft, dreamy look in her eyes died. She pushed away from him. “Oh, of course. How convenient for you to figure that out now. I get it. Thanks. You can go now.”

He knew he was going to hurt her, that she was going to take this wrong. “Mandy.”

She skirted around him. “Get out of my bathroom, Michael. I need to shower and pack.”

“Are you feeling all right?”

“I’m fine now.”

He didn’t believe her. Nothing about this was fine.

And if he was a lot less honorable, he’d take a few extra minutes-or an hour or two-and finish what they’d barely started. Because he wasn’t finished with Mandy Not by a long shot.

But he was right. Where was this leading? He was a Keeper. Keepers that had … mates, put those mates in danger. The Sons of Darkness didn’t want Keepers to continue the line.

Being with Mandy would put her at risk and he refused to do that to her.

He couldn’t lead her if he allowed anything to happen between them. He couldn’t help her if he got too close to her. And helping her, making a good hunter out of her-that part was his job.

Wasn’t it?

Hell.

He grabbed his clothes and dressed, then went to his room, took a quick shower, and packed up. By the time he went back into her room, she’d already showered, her damp hair pulled up into a ponytail. She was dressed and jamming things in her bag, her back turned to him. He wanted to go to her, to kiss her, to taste her again, touch her skin, breathe her in, to spend hours-days-hanging out with her. He craved being with her, felt cheated because they’d only just started. But what he wanted and what he had to do were two different things.