Hour of the Lion (The Wild Hunt Legacy #1) (23 page)

But just look at him. Dark all over, his skin color more like her olive than Alec‘s golden tan.

His black hair brushed his shoulders as if sampling the feel of the hard muscles. The backs of his

thighs had a scattering of short black hair. Between his legs, his testicles hung, large and heavy.

Very male. His frame was less bulky than Alec‘s, but his hard muscles were more defined, and

her need to run her hand over his chest had grown to almost a compulsion.

But…he wasn‘t erect. Here she was, naked in the water, and technically a shifter now, and

she didn‘t excite him. Hell, he wasn‘t even checking her out.

Deflated, she let her body sink below the water‘s surface and exhaled in a snort of bubbles.

She was being an idiot. She‘d bedded his brother and would like to again. Messing around with

Calum would be wrong. She and Alec weren‘t a pair or anything, but she mustn‘t cause friction

between the brothers. No. She popped back up and sucked in a breath of chill air.

Calum wasn‘t standing by the wall anymore. Regret washed through her, followed by relief.

Yes, she‘d better lock it down and keep her horny little body to herself.

―May I offer you some soap?‖

She jumped, spun around. Holy fuck, he was not a foot from her.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he repeated, ―Soap?‖

―Um.‖ His chest was a matt of dark curling hair with water trickling down between the

sculpted pectorals. After a moment, she yanked her gaze to his face. ―Soap?‖

―The substance used for cleansing?‖ he prompted as his smile creased one cheek. ―Let me

show you.‖ He rubbed his hands together, forming froth that smelled like strawberries.

Without waiting for her agreement, he ran his palms down her neck, her shoulders, her arms.

His touch was firm and cool against her overheated skin. Stunned at the way his touch felt on her

body, she stood still. Picking up her limp hand, he washed her fingers with the foam, then

massaged the plump part of her palm just below her thumb.

―Did you know this is called the Venus mound for the goddess of love?‖ He nipped the spot

and sent a wave of lust up her arm and straight down to her groin.

―Calum …‖

He stroked the soap over her biceps, massaging her muscles as if he was a well-schooled

bath attendant. ―Turn, little female,‖ he murmured, guiding her until she faced away from him.

She should protest, but he wasn‘t trying to grope her breasts, he was...

Hard fingers dug into her aching shoulders. ―Oooh, God.‖

―Your backpack was too heavy.‖ He‘d argued with her before they left the cabin, wanting to

carry their gear himself. Like that would happen.

―Mmmmh.‖ He could scold all he wanted if he just kept his hands pressing away the

soreness.

―Stubborn.‖ With a soft laugh, he squeezed her trapezius muscles to the point of pain, then

released his grip. As the blood flowed back into the relaxed tissues, she couldn‘t suppress a

moan. His fingers traced the scars from Lachlan‘s bite, and he kissed the spot before continuing.

She couldn‘t move. It was like he‘d cast a net over her with his sure touch, rendering her

helpless. When her legs wobbled, he wrapped a hard arm around her waist, his hand resting just

below one breast.

―We‘re not finished, Victoria.‖ He nipped the nape of her neck, sending a jolt of electricity

straight to her pussy.

And yet, the surge of heat wakened her from the spell. Her mind—and conscience—flicked

on. He intended to have sex. She pulled away and turned. ―Calum, no. This isn‘t right. Alec—‖

―Victoria, Alec knows we will make love.‖ He moved close enough that the stiff peaks of

her breasts rubbed his chest, then cupped her chin in his steady hand. ―Look at me, cariad.‖

Her gaze lifted as if compelled. Don‟t let him talk you into this, sergeant. ―What does cariad mean?‖

―It means darling.‖ His thumb stroked her lower lip. ―Alec and I often…share…our women.

Alone or together.‖

Two men? Oh God. A wicked lick of heat swept through her body. She pressed her hands

against his chest and hesitated, disconcerted by his rock-hard muscles. ―No. I don‘t believe you. I

won‘t risk hurting him.‖ Her body throbbed with the need for sex, but hurting Alec wasn‘t

something she‘d do.

―It pleases me that you worry about my brother‘s happiness.‖ His determined hands closed

over hers and lifted them to his face. His beard shadow scratched her palms, sending an odd

excitement through her. He smiled slightly and dragged his jaw slowly across her palms. When

his gaze lowered to her breasts, as if imagining how his beard would feel against the tender skin,

her body melted.

―No,‖ she whispered and tried to step back.

His grip never loosened. ―Victoria, I give you my word that Alec approves of you being

with me.‖ His steady gaze met hers.

Somehow she knew down to her bones that he wouldn‘t lie to her. ―That‘s just…‖

―It‘s a shifter thing, and we‘ll talk about it later.‖

She opened her mouth, and his eyes darkened. ―Later, little female. I have things I wish to

do to you now.‖

The hard, slightly rough statement eradicated her resolve. Her knees almost gave out.

―But…‖

―Shhh.‖ He nipped her fingers, the tiny pains erotic, and then put his big hands around her

waist and set her onto the hip-high rock ledge at the side. The surface of the water rippled over it

and the flat stone was warm under her bottom.

He pushed her legs open and pulled her forward until his very hard erection pressed against

her heat. She gasped, feeling her control slipping.

―That‘s right, cariad. You needn‘t think.‖ He grasped her nape, guiding her lips to his,

holding her as his tongue plunged inside to echo the rocking of his cock at her entrance.

His free hand covered her breast, cupping and stroking in such a way that when he finally

reached the nipple, she was taut in anticipation. With only one calloused finger, he touched the

peak, his touch so light, she arched into him for more. He chuckled, and his fingers closed,

pressing gently on the tip. Like an electric shock, desire shot in a sizzling line to her clit.

She gasped and he took advantage, taking his kiss even deeper. His fingers rolled her nipple,

the pressure growing past pleasure, bordering on pain, and yet her body shook with arousal. As

her breast throbbed, he moved to the other, teasing until it swelled to match the first. Until her

sex pulsed in time with her breasts.

Her head spun, and she clutched his shoulders. The hard muscles under her fingers lured her

hands to stroke up his back.

He rumbled his pleasure. When he released her mouth, she felt as if she was melting right

into the hot water. He regarded her for a moment, then smiled. His hand pressed on her sternum.

―Lie back, cariad.‖

Unable to fight him, she reclined onto the warm rock. The silky water lapped at her sides

and her pussy, heating her skin.

―Pretty little female,‖ he murmured. His thumbs gently pulled her folds apart, then he bent,

and his tongue slid over her sex. Like Alec had done. A tremor ran through her.

―No.‖ She tried to sit up, ―I don‘t want that.‖ Too intimate, too vulnerable, giving him too

much control. ―Just fuck me.‖

His head lifted. He met her gaze, and his eyes narrowed as he studied her. His face softened,

although she saw a crease appear in his cheek. ―All right then.‖

With ruthless hands, he flipped her onto her stomach. Her legs dangled down, and his thighs

moved them apart. A hard hand slid under her pelvis, and he lifted, tilting her hips up to him. A

second‘s pause. His cock pressed against her, slickening in her wetness, and then he entered her

with one hard thrust.

―Aaaa!‖ So big. Her fingers clawed at the rock as she struggled to adjust to his size. She‘d

asked for this, only she hadn‘t expected to feel…taken. That he‘d stolen the control from her

even more.

He didn‘t move, his groin against her bottom. ―Breathe, little female.‖

She inhaled. Again. ―Okay,‖ she said, trying not to sound breathless. ―Go ahead.‖

His deep voice flowed over her like honey as he said, ―Oh I will, cariad.‖ To her shock, the

fingers under her pelvis moved down into her pubic hair. He tugged on the strands, creating tiny

pinpricks of sensation. The whole center of her body was turning into a massive ache, and his

cock wasn‘t moving.

He touched her entrance where she was stretched so tightly around his shaft and ran one of

his slickened fingers over her throbbing clit. She jerked at the blast of sensation.

―What are you doing?‖ Her blood was singing in her veins.

―Exactly what I want to.‖ His finger slid over and around her clit, ruthlessly driving it into

hardness, until it was so engorged it hurt. When she wiggled, he set a hand on her bottom,

holding her in place as his other drove her mad.

Her mind started to go fuzzy. ―Calum, no.‖

―At this point, cariad,‖ he murmured, ―you do not command. You may beg, if you feel the

need.‖

Fuck. Goddamn. He knew just where to press, sliding his finger in to join his huge cock, and up over her clit until her entire pussy felt like one throbbing nerve. And there he held her until

she whimpered, her hips tilting to get his touch…there. She was panting, little moans, unable to

think, to protest as he drove her higher. If he‘d just touch —

Instead, he pulled out and inexorably back in. With the slow slide of his cock, pleasure

vibrated through her system. Her eyes felt like they were rolling back in her head. Her vagina

clamped around him, her thigh muscles trembled as his light touch moved closer to her clit and

then farther away. The pressure coiled tighter and tighter, and somehow knowing he wouldn‘t let

her escape, sent her even higher until nothing remained in her mind except the slow thrust into

her vagina and his circling finger.

―That‘s right,‖ he said softly. ―I‘m teaching you that you do not need to control everything.

Let go, cariad. I will take care of you.‖

She wanted to—she did. So she tried one last time to move, to resist. His hand held her in

place. As she gave in, a whimper escaped. A whisper. ―Please.‖

He kissed her neck, his lips warm and gentle. ―Little female, I would be happy to please

you.‖ His merciless hands closed on her hips, yanking her bottom higher, just as his shaft drove

in hard. Deep. Over and over as everything inside her gathered into one place…and exploded, a

massive bomb blowing molten fragments of pleasure through every nerve in her body. Her hips

tried to buck against his ruthless grip, and the feeling of being controlled sent another wave of

sensation pulsing upward. God, god, god.

With a rough, sexy laugh, he hammered into her in short hard strokes, and then pressed

deep. She could feel his erection jerking inside and the increased slickness.

He played with her after, fingers teasing, his cock rocking in and out, until he‘d drawn every

last spasm out of her, until she was sensitive to the slightest touch, and she laid limp, heart

pounding in her chest, covered in a hard sweat. When he turned her over and lifted her in his

arms, she could only moan. She swallowed, and her voice came out in a whisper, ―You bastard.‖

He smiled and carried her to the edge of the water. After drying himself, then her, brushing

aside her attempts to help, he set her on the bedding. He knelt beside her. ―You were far too

quick, cariad,‖ he murmured. He ran one finger down her cheek. ―This time, we‘ll draw it out a

little.‖

When her eyes widened, he wound his fingers in her hair, held her for another kiss.

Hours later, Calum lay beside her in the blankets, watching her breathe. He stroked his

finger down her neck, damp with sweat, the tiny pulse still hammering. Her eyes were closed, the

lashes dark smudges on her smooth skin. His body hummed with satiated pleasure. Once she‘d

finally relaxed into his control and care, no longer building barriers to protect herself, she was a

responsive, generous mate.

He circled her swollen nipples with one finger. The satiny skin had turned a dark red from

his sucking and bites.

Her eyes opened, still slightly glazed from passion. ―Surely you aren‘t planning to start

again, are you?‖

He had taken her…many times. He smiled. ―No, cariad. I think you have had plenty.‖

Enough that she had winced with his last entry, although she had been too close to coming to

want him to withdraw. He cupped her cheek and kissed her lightly. ―I simply like touching you.‖

Her lips curved, and she leaned into his hand, much like a cat. His heart squeezed. The need

to care for her, to make her his own had grown mountain high.

―So what are we doing tomorrow?‖ she asked, her voice slightly hoarse. The last two times,

she had given him everything, inhibitions gone, and her screams of release had echoed through

the caves.

―You‘ll meet the Elders, I will warn them in case the shifter-hunters come farther than I

expect. We‘ll spend the night and return to Cold Creek, ready for battle.‖

―You said these people live isolated so they don‘t have to be around humans.‖ Her brows

drew together. ―Because they hate humans or because they‘re afraid?‖

Her brain rarely stopped working, it seemed. ―Mostly fear and…‖ How could he put this?

―When living amongst humans, a shifter must be ever cautious, not just in trawsfurring, but in

speech and habits as well. It‘s a strain, and as the Daonain age and become more forgetful, they