Munro (Immortals After Dark #18) by Kresley Cole

NINE





            The wolf had started pacing, looking deep in thought. Were his musings as tangled as Ren’s?

            He’d told her to relax, but she hadn’t relaxed in memory. Not really since her parents had been late to return to the circus all those years ago.

            What would they think about her current predicament? No doubt they’d be puzzled why she’d twice hesitated to kill the Lykae.

            I’m still puzzled as well.

            Ren studied him as he crossed the cave from wall to wall. The fire cast his shadow on the curtain of water like a projection from a magic lantern show. No longer was he a filthy giant. The falls had scoured away the last traces of blood, leaving . . . perfection.

            His beast was dormant at last, his claws and fangs receded, and his wounds were healing. His thick hair had dried, the shade more brown than black, and the blue of his eyes had returned to his normal color, which for him was blazing gold.

            He’d called her beautiful at her wedding. During all of his leering, he must have envisioned intercourse with her. Would a Lykae want her on all fours? She pictured him naked, surging behind her, his skin slapping hers into submission, and her breath caught.

            Just that one imagining brought her more pleasure than all the kisses she and Jacob had stolen at the heart-shaped boulder. The two of them had never experienced uncontrollable passion together, but she’d witnessed it in others whenever she’d interrupted villager liaisons behind the tents.

            Oh yes, she’d gotten an eyeful—and she’d coveted their abandon.

            Sweat. Tongues. Frantic hands and hips. Descending another’s body with one aim. Taking turns to see who could do the most shameless thing.

            Her mind easily supplied a vision of this Lykae with frantic hips and hands, sweating and shameless for her, and her body grew taut as a tightrope.

            But how would sex with him even work? He would crush a mortal with his unnatural strength. Her traitorous mind whispered, He’s been gentle so far.

            Focus, Ren! She glanced at her knife tucked into his belt. She would have to get close to reclaim it. Maybe if she stopped sparring with him, he would lower his guard. “Do you not want to sit? Your pacing is making me dizzy, wolf.”

            “I’m eager to get you safely to my home.”

            Her eyes narrowed as a thought occurred. “And then what? If you managed to force me all the way to Louisiana, how would you prevent me from escaping you? Would you lock me in a room?” So much for not sparring. But his arrogance goaded her temper.

             “I believe you’ll enjoy a future with me. I’ve ways to ensure you do.” He rested a shoulder against the cave wall. As he leaned in, muscles rippled down his torso.

            Ire forgotten, she found her gaze dawdling lower to the line of crisp black hair descending from his navel to . . .

            The considerable bulge in his pants stirred.

            Arousal shocked its way through her system. If merely looking at the wolf made her react like this, what would touching his godlike body do to her?

            Get hold of yourself! She wrenched her attention back to his face and found his gaze locked on her stiffened nipples.

            His eyes flashed from gold to blue and back, and he licked his lips. “That’s better. You’re no more immune to me than I am to you.”

            She cleared her dry throat to speak. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            He strode over to her with an intent look in his eyes, but she feigned a bored demeanor, even as she had to tilt her head to gaze up at his face. His height was both intimidating and attractive.

            He moved far too close to her, until his oversized member was directly in front of her. Oh, Doamne. Oh, God.

            When he sat on the log beside her, she detected his scent. It reminded her of the Carpathians after a rain—stone pine and pure wildness.

            Being around him ratcheted up her senses and awareness. When he’d ogled her in the dark earlier, she’d all but felt his hot gaze on her body.

            This close, she made out the tiniest details of his eyes. His pupils were like eclipsed suns with golden rays blazing out across his irises—as if that light couldn’t be contained, as ungovernable as he was.