Suddenly he sat and dragged her mouth back to his, the kiss deep and demanding. He frantically worked the first few buttons on her blouse then pulled it off over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he cupped both her breasts as his mouth returned to hers. She arched into his touch, craving the connection of having his hands on her. And she touched him just as boldly, squeezing his shoulders and stroking his chest.
He bent to her breast, sucking her nipple deep into his mouth. She gasped and let her head drop back as sensation shot from her chest and lodged between her thighs. She felt wild and wanton, and the depth of her need echoed through her memory.
This was how she’d felt in the lab. Her body had been so consumed with lust that it hadn’t mattered who touched her as long as they brought her release.
She pushed Ian back, trembling with conflicting emotions. She wanted this, wanted him, but she wasn’t sure how to respond without reliving that horrible day. “I don’t think I can do this.”
He pulled her closer, pressing her breasts against his chest and guiding her head to his shoulder. “We’ve got the rest of our lives to figure it out.”
“I don’t want to give this power over me. I just don’t know how to get past the images.”
He eased back far enough so he could look into her eyes. “Talk to me, love. What triggered your fear? What specifically do we need to avoid—at least for now?”
His sexy smile and the warmth of his gaze kept her from feeling hopeless. He was willing to do whatever it took, even if that meant they’d do nothing at all. Well, she wasn’t willing to postpone their intimacies any longer. She’d waited long enough to share this with Ian.
You lost control over your body, your sensations and sexuality.
Dorothy’s words echoed through her mind.
The only way to break through the pain and start healing is to reclaim them on your own terms.
“I need to stay off my back.”
Ian stood and drew her to her feet. “No problem.” He snatched the blanket off the ground and took her hand. “There are all sorts of other ways this can be done.” He led her across the meadow and into a copse of trees. He looked around for a moment then decided on a relatively flat rock formation protruding from the hillside.
A shiver slid down her spine as the trees obscured the sun. But Ian’s hand was warm and she was determined to enjoy every minute of this. He spread the blanket over the rock then pulled her back into his arms. She rested her hand on his chest and smiled. “Dorothy told me you’re empathic. Do you hear specific thoughts or just sense emotions?”
He pressed one of his hands against the side of her face and leaned down, his mouth hovering over hers. “Are you always this talkative when you’re about to have sex?”
She was talkative because she was nervous, but he was right. There would be plenty of time for conversation after.
Rather than reply, she slid her hands down along his chest and unfastened the waistband of his jeans. He didn’t stop her, so she lowered his zipper and eased his jeans downward. His hips were lean and his belly flat, the perfect backdrop for his sex. She wrapped her fingers around his shaft and desire pulsed deep in her body.
She sank to her knees and inhaled his scent as her lips teased the very tip of his erection. He shifted restlessly but didn’t rush her. His fingers combed through her hair and caressed her face while tension rippled along his thighs. She caressed him with her hand then traced the tiny slit on his tip with her tongue.
“Turnabout can be hell,” he warned, his voice tense and low.
“What’s the matter?” She smiled, absorbing the rush of feminine power released by his obvious need. “Don’t you like this?” She lazily pumped her hand, allowing his cock to bump against, but not pass beyond, her lips.
He framed her face with his hands and pushed against her lips. “Open or I’ll find somewhere else to put it.”
That wasn’t much of a threat. The ache between her thighs was painful. Even so, she parted her lips and savored the hot slide of his shaft against her tongue. She tightened her lips against him and closed her eyes. He was rock hard, yet velvety soft and his taste, though faint, stirred her desire to a fever pitch. He rocked his hips and she bobbed her head, using her hand as well as her mouth.
Suddenly he pulled out of her mouth and dragged her to her feet. His mouth covered hers and his tongue thrust in deep as he frantically unfastened her jeans. She kicked off her shoes then wiggled out of her jeans as Ian sat on the blanket-draped rock. He lifted her as she bent her knees then brought her down over his lap.
He reached between their heated bodies and positioned himself at her entrance. Then his hands grasped her hips, but he didn’t thrust inside. “I’m right there, love. The rest is up to you.”
The import washed over her in tingling waves. He was offering her control, no small sacrifice for a Therian male. She brought her mouth to his as she slowly lowered her pelvis, taking him into the moist heart of her body.
One of his hands slid to the small of her back and the other cupped the back of her head. He deepened the kiss, but allowed her to move over and on him. He was long and thick, filling the emptiness as no one else could. She tightened her inner muscles and took him deeper. Pleasure radiated through her like rays off a noonday sun.
His tongue slid against and curled around hers, the urgent movement revealing what it cost him to give her this opportunity. He cupped her breast and teased her nipple with his thumb as she raised and lowered her hips.
Passion consumed her thoughts and increased the rhythm of her hips. She felt bold and free as she shamelessly took her pleasure. An image flickered in the back of her mind and she tore her mouth away from his. “Look at me.” She panted, not stopping the rapid rise and fall of her hips. “I need to see you.”
He opened his eyes, his gaze desire-bright and penetrating. “
Anything
you need,” he whispered. “Just ask.”
She used the obvious affection in his expression to drive back the memories. This was Ian. His face had haunted her dreams and fueled her fantasies most of her life. She had chosen this, craved it, and nothing and no one would taint their joining.
Looping her arms around his neck, she rubbed her breasts against his chest. She wanted every part of her to touch part of him. His hands settled on her hips again. His fingers squeezed, hinting at his need to move, to claim her.
“You too.” She paused, waiting for him to respond. “Move.”
It was all the encouragement he needed. His hands grasped her hips and he scooted to the edge of the rock then drove up into her with sharp, insistent thrusts. She arched her back and reveled in the speed and depth of his strokes. This was definitely better, more natural for both of them.
His lips closed around one of her nipples, his teeth holding firmly while his tongue teased the very tip. Sensations spiraled from her chest to the juncture of her thighs and pleasure rippled through her core. Her inner muscles clenched and released with the first spasms of an orgasm.
“No.” She moaned, fighting back the release. “I don’t want this to end.”
“Never.” He brought her down hard and his cock jerked inside her, the warm splash of his seed shattering her control. They wrapped their arms around each other and she squeezed him with her thighs as simultaneous climaxes pulsed within them.
She felt him brush against her mind and welcomed him with trust and affection. His mouth found hers as he sank deeper, their minds joining as their bodies clung. His power blazed in the distance like a raging forest fire, but he carefully controlled the intensity of their connection.
You will never be alone again.
He infused the vow with determination and warmth
. I will always protect you.
It was a sweet sentiment, but she was bothered by the implication. She gradually ended the kiss, not wanting to spoil the afterglow. “I still want you to define me. I need to be able to protect myself.”
Ian tensed as he searched her gaze. “Is this why you—”
“No!” She crawled off his lap and reached for her jeans. “Even if we hadn’t…done this, I’d be pestering you to define me.”
She turned her back as she pulled on her jeans and his gaze focused on her nicely rounded ass. The scent of their combined pleasure made his predatory nature restless all over again. He wanted to urge her to her hands and knees and take her from behind, staking his claim on her body and soul. Instead he stood and pulled up his pants. This had been amazing, but he’d struggled against his aggression every step of the way, which explained why he was still hungry.
“I told you, I’m not opposed to defining you.” He fastened his jeans and ran a hand through his hair. “But I still want you to take a few days and consider your options. You need to be positive that joining my network is what you really want.”
With her arms crossed over her breasts, she turned to face him again. “I don’t need a few days. I know it’s what I want.”
He didn’t argue. Instead he took her arms and pulled them away from her chest. “Don’t hide from me. It makes me want to…overpower you.”
She glanced away as her tongue darted out and swept across her lower lip. “Thank you for holding back. I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
He pulled her into his arms, needing the warmth of her body pressed to his. “I meant what I said. I’m willing to give you whatever you need until you’re completely healed.”
A smile slowly parted her lips as she stepped out of his embrace. “What I need right now is
food
.”
“Fair enough.” He snatched the blanket off the rock and they returned to the middle of the meadow where they’d left the hamper and the rest of their clothes. He pulled on his t-shirt and helped her into her blouse. She buttoned the front but didn’t bother tucking it in. Desire simmered just below the surface and it was unlikely they’d return to the cabin without undressing again.
“Dorothy told me about how you two met, but something she said didn’t make sense to me.” She balanced her plate on her lap as she took a bite of fried chicken.
“What’d she say?” Sunlight accented the warm tones in Devon’s hair making it appear more brown than black. Her cheeks were still flushed and she looked adorably tousled.
“She said you found her shortly after the attack. Did you just happen by or did you sense what was happening to her, to them?”
Was she honestly curious about how he’d met Dorothy or was this a clever way of asking about his empathic abilities? Rather than asking for an awkward clarification, he provided an answer that would take care of both. “It doesn’t work like that for me. I have to be in the same room with someone before I can sense their emotions. My range is greatly increased with family members or those I’ve formed a telepathic link with, but that wasn’t the case with Dorothy.”
“Then it was just a happy coincidence?” She looked as doubtful as she sounded.
“Did she tell you about the amulets?” Devon nodded. He knew Erin had told her about the Historian’s responsibilities to the Therian nation, but he wasn’t sure how much she knew about his connection to whoever held the position. “The amulets were stolen from a woman named Edith. She was your ancestor and Historian at the time. I was in the process of getting them back when I found Dorothy.”
Devon shivered and pain clouded her gaze. “The amulets made the attack possible, yet they also guided you to her.” Suddenly her brows drew together and curiosity burned through the haze. “Why would the Historian have amulets that drain the power of Therians?”
“That’s a long story and it’s filled with events that took place a very long time ago. According to your mother, you’ve never had much interest in history.” In fact, Devon’s lack of interest in history had caused her mother many sleepless nights. Historian was a role passed down from mother to daughter and Erin wasn’t at all convinced that Devon was right for the job.
“Do you have somewhere else you need to be?” She flashed a challenging smile before resuming her leisurely meal.
He glanced at his plate, but the only thing he was hungry for was more of her. “Have you ever heard of Boudicca?”
Devon thought for a moment then said, “Wasn’t she the British warrior queen who led a rebellion against the Romans?” Her lovely eyes rounded and she set her plate aside. “Did you know her?”
“No. She’d been dead for a couple hundred years by the time I was born.”
“All right. Then what does she have to do with the amulets?”
“According to the legend, Jatara was allowed to—”
“Who is Jatara?”
The question shocked him. How could she not know who Jatara was? “Your mother never told you about the first Omni Prime?”
She picked up her root beer and took a sip, looking a bit sheepish. “She made me memorize all sorts of names and dates when I was about twelve, but I don’t remember most of them. I grumbled and complained every time she made me study, so she eventually stopped trying to spark my interest in her stories.”
“You didn’t believe the names and dates had any real significance, so you never paid much attention.”
“I knew the stories were important to my mother, but I’ve never been a fan of history.”
“So I’ve heard.” Erin didn’t have any other female relatives, so it was likely she’d try again to kindle an interest in Devon. The only other option was for the Omni Prime to choose another bloodline for the Historians and that would break Erin’s heart. “It might be a good idea to revisit those old ‘stories’ now that you know they’re real events. You might find them more interesting.”