Читать книгу Wolf Tales III - Kate Douglas - Страница 9

“Ms. Murphy? Shannon, wake up.”

Shannon raised her cheek away from the soft coat, disoriented and confused. She looked up into the dark eyes of the man she’d been dreaming about and blinked.

It hadn’t been a dream. She really was bare-ass naked, wrapped in a scratchy blanket in the back seat of a car headed somewhere away from Boston in the middle of the night. Shannon shoved her hair out of her eyes and focused on Jake’s face. They must be in, or near, a town somewhere, because pale light from an outside source filled the interior of the car, casting dark shadows over the harsh line of his jaw, the high, angular cheekbones, the long nose.

Questions twisted in Shannon’s mind…how, and why, and who, all coiled together into a seething mass impossible to untangle. Then Jake smiled. Just the right side of his full lips quirked up, but he didn’t look like a man who smiled often. The questions melted away, just disappeared like black mist on a night wind.

Shannon felt like an idiot, reclining on the back seat awkwardly supported on one elbow, clutching the blanket to her chest and staring at Jake. The interior of the car sort of closed in around her until all she noticed was her racing heart, her weeping pussy, her taut nipples standing at attention beneath the blanket.

Who was this man? Why did her body react so powerfully to his presence?

“Are you all right?”

She took a deep breath, let it out. “I’m okay. I think I’m awake, though all of this still has the feel of a very strange dream.”

Jake nodded. “I imagine it does. You’re really quite calm, considering what you’ve been through tonight. I hope those two didn’t hurt you.”

Shannon realized she was grinning like a fool. She couldn’t believe her reaction to the man. Even the rumble of his deep voice turned her on. This close in the confines of the car, his scent filled her head, drew her closer. She took a deep breath and had to bite back a moan of pleasure, before shaking her head. “Only my pride. I’ve taken a lot of self-defense classes. Not a bit of it helped.”

“What happened? How’d they get in?”

Shannon frowned. She’d wondered that herself. Ah…Richard. “I had a visitor who took off when I went to shower. He must have left the door unlocked. The men were in my room when I came out of the bathroom. I only saw one at first. The other grabbed me from behind.”

“You left your mark. I heard him grousing about scratches on his arm.”

“Good. How did you…? They’re not dead, are they?”

Jake shook his head. “No, but they’ll probably have really bad headaches come morning. One of them may have a broken arm.” He reached for the door handle and glanced back at Shannon. “I’m going to pick up some clothes for you. What do you want me to get? What size?”

“Sweats would be great. Then I can go in with you and buy what else I need.” The reality of her situation suddenly hit Shannon hard. “I don’t have any money, no ID. I don’t…”

Jake held up his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything and we can settle up later. What size?”

“Medium. Tall if they have it. Something dark.”

“Okay. I’ll lock the doors, but I’m leaving the keys with you. We’re just outside the regular parking lot, hopefully away from any surveillance cameras. You should be fine here. We’re going to have to think about ditching this car at some point. It’s the one your two buddies were driving. I imagine by now they’ve got some sort of bulletin out on it. It might even have a tracer so be real aware of your surroundings, of anyone acting suspicious.”

Shannon was still trying to digest that bit of information when Jake nodded and slipped out of the car. He moved gracefully for such a big man. In fact, he was absolutely beautiful—long, lean, and dangerous looking, he reminded her of an untamed beast, a deadly predator of the night.

Shannon watched him all the way across the parking lot to the brightly lit store. Overhead lights caught him. Shannon realized his hair, which had looked so dark inside the car, was actually light brown, sun-streaked. His jeans hugged the most perfect male ass she’d ever seen, and his stride was long and smooth and surprisingly graceful. Though he didn’t seem to hurry, he covered the distance between the car and the store in mere seconds.

When he disappeared behind the doors, Shannon released the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Leaning back against the soft upholstery, she closed her eyes against this totally unreal new reality. She had no clothing, no credit cards, no identification, not a penny to her name. Without her cell phone she couldn’t even call Tia and find out what was going on. All the info she had was what she’d learned from Tia’s very brief call and what little Jake could tell her.

Something else Jake said flowed back into Shannon’s mind. This car had belonged to her attackers? She rubbed her fingertips over the soft leather upholstery. It was no rental—not something this expensive.

With that thought, Shannon wrapped the blanket tightly around herself and crawled into the front seat. The glove box was locked but she opened it with the keys. No registration, no clue of ownership. Nothing beyond the owner’s manual and a couple of maps—one of Boston, another of the Washington DC area. Still, whoever wanted Shannon probably had money and power, especially if her attack was somehow connected to Tia’s father’s abduction.

What in the hell could she possibly have in common with Ulrich Mason? Shannon hadn’t seen him in ages, though he’d always been perfectly friendly to her. She’d long suspected Mr. Mason knew about Shannon’s intimate relationship with his daughter. Knew and didn’t mind a bit, something that should have surprised Shannon more than it did.

What she’d had with Tia would always hold a special place in Shannon’s heart. Of all the friends and lovers she’d known, only Tia seemed to understand how Shannon perceived the world. Of course, the fact they’d both lost their mothers when they were small, had both been raised by distant, difficult fathers, had a lot to do with the special sisterhood they shared.

Shannon’s mother had died of cancer, but Tia’s mother had been murdered. Had her friend discovered any of the details of her mother’s death? Shannon was almost certain that was Tia’s main reason for returning to San Francisco.

That, and the fact that both of them had recognized something lacking in their relationship. They still loved one another, still had great sex together, but each of them had begun searching for that elusive something missing in their lives.

Shannon wondered if Tia had found what she’d been looking for. She wondered if there was an end somewhere to her own personal quest, a pot of gold at the end of Shannon Murphy’s rainbow?

With that thought, Jacob Trent’s image slammed itself into Shannon’s mind. His stark, unrelenting features, the feral gleam in his eyes, the strength in his lean yet muscular frame. There was nothing gentle about him, nothing soft. Jake was all hard angles and harsh lines, a man who had faced life as a battle to be fought and won.

Shannon lay her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. What was it about Jacob Trent that attracted her so profoundly? Why, when there was nothing welcoming about him, did she feel as if he beckoned her, as if he needed her as much as she needed him?

A dull, pulsing ache spread from Shannon’s womb to her breasts. She wanted to touch herself, to run her fingers through the moisture gathering between her legs, but the thought of Jake catching her masturbating in the front seat kept her fists tightly clenched around the blanket. Her clit throbbed, needy, overly sensitive. Shannon squeezed her legs together and bit back a moan. Hell, she was sitting alone in a car in a shopping center parking lot in the middle of the night. Not the most sensual of settings.

A soft tapping on the window jerked Shannon out of her reverie, yanked her back from the temptation of her fingers settling into the slick heat between her legs.

Startled, she turned and looked directly into Jake’s unusual eyes. Glowing amber in the reflected light from the parking lot, their primitive heat and bestial intensity reminded Shannon how precarious her position truly was.

Naked, on the run from some unknown threat, trusting her life to a total stranger with the eyes of a wolf and sex appeal beyond belief. Wondering if any of this would ever make sense, Shannon unlocked the car door.

How a woman with tangled hair, dressed in cheap, black, men’s sweats and leather moccasin slippers could give him a hard-on went beyond Jake’s imagination, but his cock had come to attention the minute Shannon Murphy stepped out of the car wearing the clothes he’d bought for her.

Jake hadn’t realized how tall she was, but standing beside him she was nearly eye level, which put her at almost six feet tall to his six four. He’d seen her naked and unconscious, wrapped her nude body in that old blanket and thought she was pretty, but standing here, looking him in the eye with that sexy grin and those gorgeous green eyes, Shannon just about put him over the edge.

Green eyes? Not amber, not like Tia’s. Maybe she wasn’t Chanku after all. Weren’t the eyes the giveaway? Jake felt a little of the air whoosh out of his lungs, but when Shannon turned away to walk toward the store, his cock begged him to follow.

Chanku or not, she was gorgeous. There was something untamed about her, something savage and ruthless, and it called to him, made him hunger. Tall, loose-limbed and athletic, she had the build of a swimmer with broad shoulders, a small waist, and a sexy flare to her slim hips. Jake pictured her in leather, her perfect little ass encased in smooth black leather cupped close against her cheeks, defining the line between them.

He practically groaned, imagining her kneeling in front of him, her ass in the air, her long, dark red hair sweeping her shoulders as she peered back at him over one naked shoulder.

Shannon turned just then, glancing back over her shoulder, a twinkle in her eyes. Something slammed Jake in the gut, that knowing look, as if she read his thoughts, as if she knew every fantasy swirling around his horny brain.

Jake smiled back, then followed Shannon into the brightly lit store. An idea was forming in his mind…one that would get Shannon in leather and the two of them far away from whoever threatened her safety.

Of course, his plan didn’t take into account the threat Shannon posed to Jake. It had been a long time since a woman left him this unsettled. A very long time.

As in never.

Shannon grabbed a cart and headed toward the back of the store. Jake followed, content to watch the smooth flow of her hips under the clinging knit pants. Shannon reached for a bottle of shampoo and another of conditioner. She held a large size and a small one, as if weighing her purchase.

Jake cleared his throat. It was now or never. “Think minimal, okay? I want to dump the car as soon as we can, get off the beaten track. I’m thinking motorcycle. Are you okay with traveling on a bike? It’s not all that far to the cabin. They’re not going to be looking for us on a bike. The drawback is, we won’t be able to carry as much stuff.”

Shannon looked at Jake and set the larger bottle back on the shelf. She had a huge, mind-boggling, gut-wrenching smile on her face. “I love it. I’ll need jeans and boots and a coat, though.”

“Wait until we get to the dealership. There’s one north of Portland and they’ll have gear. Leather’s safer.” And a hell of a lot sexier.

What the hell was he thinking? Someone was trying to kidnap her, and all Jake could think of was the sweet curve of her ass in tight, black leather pants. What it would be like to peel those pants down over her muscular thighs, bury himself deep inside her welcoming heat.

As if she’d welcome him in the first place. Damn. There was only one way to find out. He had to get her in leather.

Shannon nodded, agreeing with Jake as he continued, selling himself on the idea as much as Shannon. “Let’s just pick up the basics for now, find a place to get some sleep for a couple hours. Tomorrow we ditch the car and buy a bike.”

“Just like that? You think we can do it that fast? Just walk in and pick out a motorcycle and go?”

Jake thought of the Pack Dynamics credit card in his wallet. Virtually untraceable, credit unlimited. “When you’ve got the money, you can do just about anything you want. C’mon. Let’s get the stuff we absolutely need for tonight, then find a place to sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”

Shannon had assumed Jake meant to sleep in the car. Instead he pulled into a small, neatly landscaped hotel parking lot south of Portland, Maine. While Jake got a room, Shannon gathered up the bags with their purchases. Jake walked back to the car, grabbed the heaviest of the sacks along with a leather overnight bag, and carried them up the outside stairwell to the second floor.

Shannon realized her heart was pounding, and it wasn’t from the short climb up a flight of stairs. Jake had gotten one room, but how many beds? She watched him insert the card key in the lock with what should have been a sense of dread, but instead was pure anticipation.

Jake flipped the handle when the lock clicked and opened the door, but he paused and looked back over his shoulder. For the briefest of moments, Shannon saw something flicker in his eyes, some emotion she’d not seen before, a question? A sense of vulnerability, as if he expected her to turn and run away?

Turning away was the last thing on her mind. Shannon smiled and stepped through the doorway ahead of Jake. The room was small and clean, dominated by one huge bed covered in a thick down comforter.

Shannon’s pussy clenched. Her suddenly erect nipples tingled against the soft knit fabric of her sweatshirt. She piled her bags on a small table in one corner and took a deep breath. “This was a good idea. I’m exhausted.”

That wasn’t all, but how do you tell a total stranger how turned on you are? That he makes you so damned hot all you can think of is stripping off your clothes and tackling him? After she peed. Some things couldn’t be ignored. Embarrassed now, Shannon experienced a moment’s shyness. “I need to use the bathroom, then it’s all yours.”

Jake nodded. He grabbed the remote for the TV and flipped it on, giving Shannon more privacy. She found a toothbrush and some paste in one of the bags and went into the small bathroom. The moment she closed the door behind her, she leaned back against the solid wood. Why, when she had absolutely no compunction about picking up a relative stranger in a bar did her attraction to Jake leave her feeling so rattled?

It made no sense. He was a man. It was obvious he was interested in her. Hell, for some reason most men were, though Shannon really couldn’t understand why. She didn’t flirt, didn’t go out of her way to hunt for a man. They just seemed to gravitate her way, each of them as desperate as she was.

Some she took home, others she ignored. Lately, she’d taken home a few she should have ignored, but they’d seemed so needy.

Maybe that was Jake’s difference. Maybe, for the first time Shannon could recall, she was the one who needed. Jake seemed totally self contained. Other than that brief glimpse she’d had, he came across as a man used to getting what he wanted. Used to being in control. Tia, with all her dreams of wolves, would have called him an alpha male.

“Damn, Tia. What the fuck have you gotten me into now?” Grinning at her own sense of drama, Shannon used the toilet, then checked to see if her legs felt smooth. At least she’d showered and shaved them before her kidnapping. Good Lord. She should be giving thanks she was still alive, not worrying about hairy legs and body odor!

Still wearing her warm sweats, Shannon quietly slipped back into the room. Her dreams of hot sex with Jacob Trent slipped away on a smile. Partially propped up against a mound of pillows, Jake lay stretched out on the king-size bed. He slept, one hand clutching the remote control resting on his flat belly, the other flung over his head. He’d taken off his shirt and partially unzipped his jeans. A large white bandage covered the left side of Jake’s throat and Shannon wondered briefly what injury it hid. She hadn’t noticed it before. His feet were bare. Like his chest, they were dusted with dark hair.

In sleep, the harsh angles of Jake’s face had softened, the worried frown between his eyes relaxed. His light brown hair glowed like old gold in the soft light from the bedside lamp.

It was three in the morning. He’d arrived late in the evening from California, which meant he’d probably been awake close to twenty-four hours.

Shannon slipped the remote out of Jake’s hand and turned off the TV. She lifted his legs to pull the blankets free of their substantial weight, then covered Jake with the quilt. He mumbled something, then slipped lower into the pile of pillows.

Shannon turned off the light and crawled carefully into bed beside him. Jake’s soft breathing soothed her, the warmth of his strong body next to hers gave Shannon a sense of comfort she’d not felt before. She lay there in the darkness, sadly aware she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually slept with a man. Uncountable numbers had come to her bed for sex, but she’d always asked them to leave when they were done.

This entire day had been one strange episode following another. First Tia’s frantic call, then the kidnapping, then rescue, then flight…now this, whatever this was. Jake’s arm snaked around Shannon’s body and he pulled her close, fitting her ass into the cradle of his thighs. He grunted, buried his nose in her hair and settled back into sleep.

Not the wild and steaming sex she’d imagined just a few minutes ago, but definitely satisfying. Smiling in the darkness, Shannon gave in to her overwhelming need for rest.

Strange dreams followed her into sleep. Amber eyes glowed out of the darkness and a wolf howled close by. At some point she felt too warm and stripped off the heavy sweats. Later, Shannon might have heard a shower running, or was it the rush of a woodland stream flowing over worn rock? She dreamed of dark paths in damp woods, of racing naked through wet grass and tangled willows, leaping streams with a sense of freedom, a strength she’d never experienced. Her heart swelled with joy so pure, so all-consuming, it affected her sensually, filled her soul with passion, made Shannon, for the first time in her life, feel whole.

As if that final, unknown part which had forever been missing had somehow slipped itself into place and completed the puzzle that was Shannon Murphy.

A sound woke her, or maybe it was the quiet. Shannon blinked sleepily and gradually came more awake. Stretching, her body tingling and aroused as if she’d just reached climax, Shannon slowly opened her eyes. Jake stood at the end of the bed, his wet hair combed back from his forehead, lean hips barely covered by a white towel, and his eyes…his eyes glowed amber like the wolf in her dreams. Glowed with desire matched only by Shannon’s.

She’d only known him a few hours. She’d known him all her life. Without hesitation, Shannon lifted the blankets aside and made a space for Jake in the bed next to her. His long fingers loosened the knotted towel and let it slowly fall from his lean hips.

He was only partially erect, his tumescent cock swelling out of a dark nest of hair even as she watched. Shannon licked her lips, imagining that perfect, uncut cock slipping into her mouth. Imagined the taste and texture of Jake’s balls, the feel of his swollen penis moving slowly down her throat. Stretching her lips, teasing her senses with the taste of man. She swallowed and the sound seemed loud in the silence stretching between them.

Jake moved as if he were caught in the same web of fantasy holding Shannon. Slowly stretching out over the end of the bed, he rested one knee on the mattress. His left hand hovered for an endless moment over her leg.

The tension between them built, stretched thinner, tighter. When he finally touched her, Shannon gasped. Her head jerked up. Jake stared directly into her eyes for a mere second, then he looked back down at her leg, at the point where his hand rested just below her knee.

Did Jake feel it? Did his palm tingle with the sense of power racing between them? He had to know what she felt, had to realize something magical was happening. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her leg, next to his palm.

A shiver raced up Shannon’s inner thigh, directly to her clit. She felt a moan catch in her throat, a needy whimper yearning to break free.

Raising his head, maintaining eye contact, Jake crept closer, crawling the length of Shannon’s body, his hand sliding oh, so slowly along her thigh to the swell of her hip. He carefully slipped into the warm indentation of the mattress where Shannon’s body had been, gliding against her until Shannon felt his heat surround her, from the spot where his toes touched the bottoms of her feet to the warm pressure of his chest against her breasts…to her lips.

His breath carried the minted scent of toothpaste, an ordinary, pleasing aroma. Familiar. His body’s essence, though, was something more, something ancient and long forgotten, a primal scent that stirred Shannon in a manner she’d never experienced. Once again she thought of the forest, wondered at the memories that couldn’t be, memories drifting from beyond her understanding.

Questions she’d not known to ask somehow gave her the courage to bridge the small distance between her mouth and Jake’s. Trembling, aware of him as she’d never been aware of any other partner, male or female, Shannon pressed her lips against Jake’s mouth.

She felt his warm sigh, the hardening of his body as his arms wrapped her in a tight embrace. Jake devoured her mouth, slowly but surely finding every sensitive spot with his tongue, his teeth, his lips.

She’d never had anyone make love to her mouth before. Not like this, with such thorough, single-minded attention. Jake’s tongue explored the full interior of Shannon’s mouth, his teeth nipped at her lips and he suckled her tongue in an open invitation to do the same to his.

Moaning, Shannon pressed her hips close to Jake’s, felt his cock swell against her belly. Breathing slowly and surely, he kissed the corner of her mouth, then carefully worked his way along her jaw, paying close attention to the length of her throat, the sharp line of her collarbone. Moving lower, Jake licked just the tip of her left nipple, teasing Shannon with the briefest of strokes.

She arched her hips and whimpered. His hands swept the length of her torso, tangled in her small thatch of pubic hair and tugged. Jake’s lips tightened on her nipple, sucking hard and pressing the swollen tip against the roof of his mouth. He moved across her chest with tiny, sucking kisses and repeated the process, slowly suckling and licking Shannon’s other breast, then moving lower, kissing the sensitive flesh over her ribcage, dipping his tongue into her navel.

His long fingers slipped carefully into her sex, spreading her fluids up and over her sensitive clit, gently torturing that tiny bundle of nerves. Shannon bit the inside of her lip, fighting the sensations as she reveled in Jake’s skillful touch.

Her skin burned but her body shivered. Her womb ached and the muscles in her vagina clenched with each beat of her heart, each thrust of his fingers. She clutched at Jake’s shoulders, tilted her hips high to force his fingers deeper. Instead, he slowly dragged his fingers out of her warm and wanting pussy and knelt between her legs. He lifted her buttocks, holding her cheeks in his big hands, lifting her higher, closer to his mouth.

She felt the rough glide of Jake’s fingers over the bruises Richard’s clutching fingers had left, felt the warm breeze of Jake’s breath between her legs. Twining her fingers in the wrinkled sheets, Shannon closed her eyes. She whimpered again, a strangled cry deep in her throat.

Jake sat back on his heels and raised Shannon’s legs over his shoulders. She opened her eyes, shocked he would hold her so high, hold her up to his mouth like some carnal feast so that only her shoulders rested on the bed. Jake stared back at her for a moment. His eyes gleamed in the darkness and he licked his lips, as if savoring her taste.

There was a look of wonder on his face, an expression that confused Shannon. What did he feel when he looked at her like this? Why did he affect her so deeply, make her want him so much? What was it about Jacob Trent that seemed to know what was missing in Shannon’s life? Could Jake fill the emptiness she’d known for so long?

Then his big hands lightly massaged her bruised and sore buttocks. He lifted her even higher. Jake dipped his head, his tongue lightly caressed her clit, one thick finger rubbed back and forth across her sensitive anus, and Shannon bit her lips to keep from crying out in ecstasy.

Tasting Shannon Murphy’s intimate flavors was the equivalent of taking communion with whatever gods had suddenly blessed his life. Jake’s tongue dipped into her creamy nectar and he actually felt the sting of tears behind his eyes.

Damn, but he’d gone down on hundreds of women, enjoyed their myriad flavors and tastes, yet never, not once, had he felt this powerful connection, this rush of sensual need, of almost painful arousal. Breathing deeply he drew her scent into his lungs and felt his cock stretch beyond its already hard length.

Shannon moaned when he tongued her clit. The needy sound turned him on even more, so he gently suckled the erect bud between his lips, licking tenderly at the sleek bit of flesh. She lifted her pelvis, pressed her sex tighter against his mouth and he licked deep inside, swirling his tongue over the slick, clenching tissues. His nose pressed close against her folds and he breathed deeply, inhaling her scent.

How he wished he could shift! If only he could use his Chanku tongue to taste her, his wolven body to love her. The more sensitive Chanku taste buds and ability to smell even the lightest scent would make an almost perfect experience even better.

Shit. Any better and it might be fatal.

He lifted his head for a moment, breathing deeply, fighting for control. Heart pounding in his chest, Jake was almost certain he heard the rush of his blood, the throbbing veins in his cock. Shannon’s scent drew him back. Once more he dipped his head to feed between her legs.

While his tongue learned the secrets of Shannon’s sweet sex, Jake’s fingers stroked her taut buttocks, found the cleft between her cheeks, pressed lightly at first, then with more force against her anus. He felt her push against his finger and knew she was no stranger to this kind of touch. Groaning against her pussy, his hips beginning to sway in longing, Jake dragged his fingers through her dripping fluids for more lubricating moisture, then slowly but surely gained entrance through her anus, pressing his finger deep into Shannon’s hot, tight passage.

She whimpered, not a sound of pain but of longing. Her muscles grabbed his finger. Held him.

Lost in a haze of pure lust, Jake licked and nipped and sucked, matching the rhythm between his mouth and probing finger, taking Shannon with him. His thoughts floated free, his need, his physical and emotional arousal, his wonder, all coiling and melding, bringing him to the edge of climax.

Jake hovered on the precipice, held fast by sheer will alone, but his mouth and hands took Shannon over. Her body tensed, her knees locked against the sides of his head. He felt her scream before he heard it, sensed her orgasm seconds before her body went rigid. Her back arched, her pussy gushed, filling his mouth with her unique tangy taste.

Jake’s cock felt ready to explode, his balls ached, and suddenly, inexplicably, his mind caught her mental touch. Shannon’s orgasm, her need, her surprise, her unbelievable response to Jake’s lovemaking.

He held her there, right at the peak, far longer than he’d ever held another woman…kept her in the throes of her orgasm, her muscles clenching, heart pounding, while their minds fed, one from the other.

Finally, Jake brought Shannon slowly down, still caught in the wonder of that brief communication, licking her gently between her legs, sliding his finger out of her backside, then stretching her legs limply along either side of his body. Jake leaned over and found his jeans on the floor beside the bed, fumbled for a condom and tore the wrapper with his teeth. He took his cock in his hand, almost afraid to touch himself, he was so close to coming.

His hands shook so that he could barely sheathe himself, but he finally managed to get the condom over the head of his weeping cock. He’d never regretted more the use of protection. Disease was not a factor—his Chanku genetics made him impervious to human bacteria and viruses—but until he knew whether or not Shannon was Chanku, Jake couldn’t risk impregnating her.

He’d heard the guys say they didn’t think they could get a human woman pregnant once they became Chanku, but no one really knew for sure. None of them had been willing to take that chance.

Smoothing the condom down the length of his cock gave him a moment to regain control. When he was safely covered, he wrapped his fist around the base and pressed the broad head of his cock against Shannon’s sex. She was so damned hot and wet, slick with her juices, with his saliva. Slick and ready and waiting. Her body jerked when he touched her, so sensitive and ready for him. Jake thrust his hips forward, slipped into her fast and deep, and buried his full length to the root.

Adjusting himself between her legs, filling her even more, Jake raised his head and met Shannon’s bemused gaze. She looked at him with wonder in her eyes. Wonder and a look of confusion. Then she raised her hand and touched the side of his face, a simple gesture that left him feeling almost giddy.

Jake thrust hard, going as deep as he could, pressing his cock against the hard mouth of her womb, then slowly withdrawing. Again he filled her, and once again withdrew. He kept his gaze locked on Shannon’s, watched her face, the expression in her eyes as once again he brought her to the edge, teased her with each thrust, then reached between their sweaty bodies and found her clit.

Shannon’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth formed a perfect “O” and she clutched his hips with surprisingly strong hands. Stroked his thighs, cupped his buttocks much as Jake had held hers. He rocked within her slowly, riding out her climax, still holding on to his.

Moments later, her breathing once again almost steady, Shannon smiled at him, a secretive, almost teasing smile. She rubbed her hands over his ass, stroking the skin in ever tightening swirls, finally discovering his balls.

Holy shit! Jake clenched his butt muscles in reaction and ground his teeth. She almost had him, almost forced him to come. Those perfect fingers cupped his sac and gently squeezed, then one slim finger traced the line to his ass, swirled around the taut muscle long enough to take him right to the limits of control. Swirled and then dipped inside, deep, hard and fast.

Jake shuddered, thrust hard and froze with his cock pressed up tight against her cervix. His balls tightened in their sac, his lungs quit working, his heart most likely stopped. He felt the hot rush of orgasm, the sense of everything coiling into one tight spurt of seed blasting from his balls, down the length of his cock, filling the end of the condom.

Damn. He ached. The need to plant his seed at the mouth of Shannon’s womb left a visceral pain, overshadowing what was, in every other way, the most perfect fuck he’d ever experienced.

Chest heaving, hips still thrusting of their own volition as his seed spilled into the damned condom’s reservoir, Jake felt Shannon’s mental shout of triumph, heard her joyous exclamation in his mind as she reached yet another climax of her own. Saw the wonder in her eyes when she finally realized they had done more than just have mind-blowing sex.

They had joined both mentally and physically, had found the ultimate pleasure, a pleasure shared equally only when both were Chanku.

They had linked. For the first time in his life, Jake had linked mentally with a woman during sex. Shaken, he could only stare into her forest-green eyes and wonder if she understood what had just occurred between them.

Arms trembling, heart thudding in his chest, Jake leaned forward and kissed Shannon gently on the lips. When he carefully separated from her body and moved to lie beside her, Jake realized this was only the beginning. If he didn’t screw things up, he could share the same feeling with this amazing woman every day for the rest of his life.

Could share it without barriers, with only their flesh meeting, their bodies merging, their minds one. It scared the holy shit out of him. He’d never brought anyone over before, never taken the responsibility of teaching another Chanku about his or her unique heritage.

That had been Luc’s job. Luc and Ulrich Mason’s. Jake hadn’t wanted the responsibility, hadn’t needed the emotional involvement that occurred when you showed someone an entirely new world, a world they’d been entitled to, yet barred from—until another Chanku led the way.

Jake wanted it now. Wanted the challenge, the commitment. He wanted Shannon Murphy.

He raised himself up on one elbow and stared into the bright green eyes filled with trust, glowing with wonder, and knew he faced his greatest challenge.

Keep Shannon safe. Protect her at all costs, teach her the joys and the secrets of Chanku.

How would he teach her when he couldn’t tell her? Shit. Until he knew for sure that she was Chanku, he couldn’t say a word.

Somehow, he’d figure out a way. He had to. But most of all, he had to make Shannon love him. After this one night, Jake knew he would rather give his life than ever give her up.