Whatever It Takes (6 page)

“Do you want me to finish before we start?” His jaw was clenched in concentration.

Did he expect me to answer him, because I couldn’t. I was blown away by his admission. Never had any man wanted me as much as Josef seemed to, perhaps this is the moment I have been waiting for. When I finally found someone who finds me desirable enough to lose themselves completely.

He stood from the bed and stripped. My God, he was beautiful. Like a fine work of art, he was all chiseled muscle that would have put ‘The David’ to shame. As my eyes roved down the planes of his chest, to his flat stomach, my breath caught.

I had thought he was big when I’d felt him earlier but that didn’t prepare me for the real deal. He jutted away from his body, long and proud. I watched as it pulsed under my gaze. A drop of liquid glistened on the tip. I began to sit up as worry overtook my need. He was definitely too damn big. I put my hands up getting ready to cry off.

Josef sensing my worry advanced and gently pushed me back down. Claiming my mouth in a searing kiss, that had my fears flying out the window, right along with my sanity. His hands cupped my hips as he rubbed against me, bringing his shaft into contact with my wet core, coaxing a moan from me.

When he began to trail kisses down my neck, I knew I was done for. His lips ignited fire everywherethey touched on their way towards my breasts
.
Josef took one stiff peak into his mouth. Nipping at it and then soothing the sting with his tongue. My need to be closer to him had me arching my back off the bed. My breasts bared to him in offering. He lavished the other nipple with the same attention. Rolling my now wet nipples between his fingers. Playing my body like a well-tuned Les Paul.

Slowly, he moved down the flat plane of my belly leaving a trail of fire in his wake. With just his kisses Josef had me hot, wet and ready. I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt his breath ghost over my core. I tried to close my thighs in protest but Josef had wedged himself between them. He looked up at me, a question in his eyes.

“Please, you don’t have to do that.”

With a wolfish grin he ran a finger over my nether lips, causing my whole body to shiver with suppressed desire. “Why not?”

With his mouth inches away from where I needed him most, I didn’t want to have this discussion. But from the look he was giving me I knew he wanted answers. “Boys don’t like doing that.”

I recited it word for word. It’s what my first boyfriend had told me when we were at this stage in our relationship. Any guy after was never expected to pleasure me in such a way, I just thought it was the way of things. So I just assumed Josef would be more of the same. My hand was poised to push him away but Josef nipped at my fingers in warning, I yelped and pulled them back. I guess his beast was too close to the surface and he didn’t want any disobedience from me.

“Good thing I’m a man.”

Before I could argue further his tongue began to stroke me, causing my body to arch off the bed. With one massive hand against my stomach Josef held me in place. His free hand opened me further to his touch. His tongue worked magic against my clit as one of his long fingers began to probe me; drawing me ever closer to the edge. Josef alternated between a fast four stroke pace and a slower three stroke one. My breath was coming in sharp gasps. I felt my stomach muscles tighten as my orgasm crested. Josef could barely move his fingers as my inner walls clamped down on him, my orgasm rushing out over his hand.

“Oh God, Josef.”

He lifted his head, his lips glistening with the evidence of my release. Slowly his tongue slipped past his lips to clean himself, my breath caught at the sight. This sexy man was going to be the death of me.

“You taste like heaven.”

Josef had positioned himself at my entrance, not giving me a moment to remember why I had feared our joining in the first place. His tip brushed against my opening, causing me to moan with need.

“Please, Josef don’t be a tease.”

A wicked smile pulled at his lips, “Believe me love, I have every intention of delivering.”

With a slow smooth thrust he teased my entrance. Just dipping the head in and then pulling all the way out.

He hissed at the contact, “So hot and tight.”

I gripped his shoulders and thrust my hips up to meet his. I was too wound up to deal with a slow rhythm. Maybe later after I was spent, he could take his time. Right now though, I wanted to awaken the wolf. I knew that his wolf wanted to dominate me; all he needed was a little coaxing.

“Don’t push the beast, Dara.”

I thrust my hips again, raking my nails across his shoulders, “Why not? Doesn’t he want to come out and play with me?”

That did it! The wolf took full control. I had one moment to realize that I might have pushed the envelope a little too far. That I really should have let a dead zombie lie, damn my stubborn streak.

“You’re in for the ride of your life, little girl.” His voice was nothing more than a growl.

With that Josef grabbed my hips and began to thrust as if his life depended on it. I felt my orgasm grip me. So did Josef. Just before it swept me out, he stopped. I whimpered at the sudden lack of stimulation. I tried to buck my hips but Josef held me firmly in place.

He leaned into my ear, “I can’t hold out, you feel so damn good.”

Another whimper left me. If he started me in again and left me hanging I’d die. I would spontaneously combust. There would be nothing left of me to face Kristoff.

“Please.”

It came out breathy and I wondered for a moment where the old me had gone. But it was only for a moment because Josef pushed back into me once more. It was an achingly slow thrust and then he pulled out just as slowly. He was building a fire inside of me. I felt another wave building. Josef growled when I clamped down around the steeliness of him. He groaned as he began to thrust harder.

“Yes.” I cried. “Please don’t stop.”

Josef put his full weight on one arm. With his mouth latched onto my neck, he headed toward the finish line and I was right on his heels. I racked my nails down his arms as he continued to thrust into me. His tongue, lips and teeth worked at my throat. God, I was going to have a hickey, but at this point I really didn’t care.

“Mine.” He growled out.

With one final thrust Josef held himself still inside me. I felt the hot jets of his release and that’s all it took to have me crying out my own orgasm. Josef slowly pulled out of me. Rolling over onto his back he pulled me with him, making rumbling noises of contentment. I fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep there in his arms.

My fingers drummed in time to the vicious rhythm the rain was beating against the car’s roof. I was trying to still the pre-fight aggression I was feeling. I knew that to give me the edge I needed I would have to find the stillness inside. No one was more single-minded than Kristoff and if I wanted to come out of this victorious, I’d have to steal a page out of his book. Cold and calculating, that’s what I needed to be.

Vicktor hadn’t come with us, opting instead to saddle me with both Josef and the Quiet Man. Neither in my opinion had done anything, to make this easier. Josef thought that since we had slept together he had some sick right to make my decisions for me. Now to make matters worse the Quiet Man was goading him to near rage. Every two minutes they would glare at each other from across the car and then they would mumble some macho crap under their breath’s, pushing all sorts of negative emotions into the small space. Their testosterone filled the air and had me wanting to scream. Ok, time to break up this little tree swinging party.

“You two should just get a room already.”

The Quiet Man laughed a deep rich sound that seemed to fill the entire limo. Josef on the other hand just snarled. Damn, his beast was riding him hard. Perhaps we really shouldn’t have had sex earlier because if he kept this up it was going to cost us. The scene from Rocky where Burgess Meredith tells Stallone, “Women weaken knees,” flashed across my mind and I chuckled.

“This is not a joking matter. Call this trade off Dara or I shall not be held responsible for what I do.”

Josef’s voice was deeper than normal, each word almost a growl. Once more his pupils had overrun his irises. Even his muscles seemed to stretch and flex to make him appear bigger; much like a cat did when it hunches its back. It was a primal intimidation tactic.

The man was no more, all that was left of Josef was his wolf. A werewolf protecting his mate was even cagier than one who wanted to mark a female as his own. There was no way to reason with the beast, he would protect what he thought was his at all cost. That included Sabine’s life which was something I wasn’t going to let happen.

I was going to make sure this trade went off without a hitch. The Nocturnes wanted me, no doubt because Kristoff had told them to acquire me. In his deluded mind he thought I was the woman in the prophecy of Perdition, so I would use that to my advantage. There was no way Kristoff would dare to deliver me to a demon high lord marred. Not if he wanted to keep his unlife.

“Dara, did you hear me? You are not going to go through with this.” The command in his voice grated on my too short nerves.

Something in me rose at Josef’s words. My free spirit did not like the muscle his beast was flexing over my choices. I had never answered to anyone, not since I had turned ten. So I was not about to start now. Josef needed to know his beast did not scare me nor could it cow me into doing whatever he deemed fit.

“I don’t take orders from people who keep me out of the loop.”

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What do you mean?”

The Quiet Man’s eyes flashed with unease. Good, I had gotten both of their attention. The floor was mine so to speak, so away I went.

“Care to tell me about the Son of Perdition?”

My eyes darted between the two who had now fallen silent. Their silence made them all the more suspicious. “Either of you? I thought not. Cowards!”

Josef reached out toward me but I pulled away. A hurt look crossed his face. “I was keeping you safe. I refuse to have you do something as stupid as to give yourself up to the one man who would take everything from you.”

He was wrong on so many counts. There was nothing left to have stolen from me; years ago Kristoff had taken everything worth fighting for from me. After he killed my grandpa, I had nothing in the world left to lose. Since that time, I’ve kept everyone at arm’s length. You see having nothing left to lose made me very dangerous to Kristoff’s wellbeing and that’s just the way I liked it.

“By not telling me vital information?”  My eyes shot fire at him through the rearview mirror.

“By not giving you more to worry about.”

I turned in my seat to look him directly in the eyes. “Ok, so let me get this straight… You believe I’m somehow the key to a creepy ass prophecy but don’t think I can handle myself? Have you even read that damn prophecy?”

Josef folded his arms across his chest and shook his head in annoyance. He wasn’t willing to give an inch and it was making him less likely to get a second chance with me. He better cherish the memories of earlier because there was no way I was going to sleep with him again. Not when he decided to go all caveman after one small romp between the sheets.

“Know what, forget I mentioned it. And you can damn well forget a repeat of what happened earlier.”

“You will stop whatever crazy thoughts of heroism you are having. I won’t allow them!”

Gob smacked was what I was by his arrogance. Josef really thought his word was law. Boy oh boy, did he need to wake up from whatever daydream he was living in. Because if he thought a little action between the sheets meant he could control my life he was wrong and by wrong, I mean dead wrong.

“I’ll do as I damn well please and you won’t interfere. And you will never keep me in the dark again, understood?” I pointed an accusing finger in his direction.

Because of my new position my holster was digging into my sore ribs. Just another reminder of why I had to keep my head in the game. The Nocturns had pain and suffering on their minds. They weren’t going to give me a rain check on another beating, so I couldn’t get caught with my pants down.

Josef didn’t like my answer so he bared his fangs clearly trying to intimidate me. His display of dominance didn’t work, at least not with me. I had faced death at ten and came out the victor, so a little snarling was nothing to me. As a matter of fact I’ve seen scarier looking dust bunnies under my bed.

“Do not poke the beast, Dara.” The Quiet Man’s voice broke the stillness of the car.

“Why the hell not?”

I threw an annoyed look at him. He may think he was off the hook but he wasn’t. I knew that they both were at fault here and I wasn’t going to let Lord Slade get away with anything. I would just have to bide my time where he was concerned.

“The Bad Moon’s rising.” His gloved hand indicated Josef. “The mutt will stop at nothing to defend his prize.”

Prize? That’s all I was to Josef, some conquest. Damn! Here I had thought that what had passed between us was something a little deeper. I didn’t make it a habit of jumping into bed with just any hot guy that crossed my path. Josef had shown all the signs of wanting to make a go of things, or at least that’s what I had thought. That will be the last time I listen to Dr. Phil’s advice on relationships.

Whether I wanted to believe it or not, I could sense Josef’s beast. I knew that the Quiet Man spoke some truth. It didn’t matter if Josef really liked me or not, I didn’t want to be treated like an object. I wasn’t a bra burning feminist but I was independent and damn proud of it. There was no need for Josef to protect his “prize”, because I was more than able to care for myself and I sure as hell wasn’t anyone’s “prize”. A long time ago I needed a hero, with no one applying for the position I became my own.

“I am not some simpering moron that needs rescuing.”