Instinctive (9 page)

“Yup.” He put his glass down and stalked closer. He took her glass from her and put it aside; then he grabbed her firmly by the
hips and backed her up against the wall. Slyck breathed a kiss over her mouth and surfed his lips over her cheek. “But the only thing that is going to quench my thirst is your sweet cream, Jaclyn.”

She gave a broken gasp. Overwhelmed by need, she opened her mouth in invitation. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. Her nails bit into his shoulders as their tongues tangled and thrashed. His mouth went to her neck and he breathed in her perfume.

“You smell so fucking good.”

A moment later he inched back. His lips, warm and silky, hovered over hers as he whispered into her mouth, “I need to fuck you, baby. I need to fuck you real bad.”

She gyrated against him, desperately needing him to assuage the ache inside her. Barely able to reply she managed to get out, “Yes. Please . . .”

A growl ripped from his throat and his cock pressed against her so hard, her entire body shuddered in response. His knuckles brushed her heated cheek. Ripples of sensual pleasure danced over her skin, urging her to give herself over to him completely.

His eyes locked with hers. He thumbed her lips. “But first I need to kiss you. Every square inch of your body. I want to taste your mouth, and your nipples, but mostly I want to taste right here.” He slipped his hand between their bodies and cupped her moist pussy through her thin dress.

“Please . . . ,” she murmured. “Now.” She widened her legs so he could feel her heat.

His eyes smoldered. “Oh fuck, baby, you’re not wearing any panties.” Raw excitement laced his voice. In one swift movement,
he gathered her into his arms and carried her up the stairs to his bedroom. He deposited her onto his mattress and stood back to look at her.

She whimpered, unable to vocalize what she needed, or just how crazed this man, this stranger, made her feel.

Slyck quickly removed his clothes and stood before her, looking completely comfortable in his own skin. After she took in the sexy artistic ink on his upper arm, her glance traveled to the plethora of deep clawlike scars marring his flesh and everything inside her softened.

“Slyck?” she questioned.

“It’s okay. They’re from a long time ago.”

She understood that he didn’t want to talk about it now, so she nodded her head and continued with her slow perusal. Even with the scars, he had the most beautiful body she’d ever set eyes on. Athletic, with broad shoulders, striated muscles, a magnificent chest, rock-hard abs, and an even harder cock.

She bit down on her bottom lip with longing when she saw the impressive size of his erection. Impatience thrummed through her, and she flushed hotly. “Come here.” She reached for him, needing intimate contact.

When he didn’t make a move, her glance traveled to his face, questioning him.

“Open your legs.” His voice was a low, velvet seduction. “Show me your pussy.”

Muscles tightening with arousal, Jaclyn eased her legs open, offering her naked sex up to him. “Like this?” she asked.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Exactly like that.”

He stood there for a long time, just looking. Desire coiled deep in her belly. Oh God, was he ever going to fuck her?

“Slyck, please,” she begged shamelessly. “I need you inside me.”

Then he did the strangest thing. He climbed between her thighs, buried his nose into her pussy, and inhaled. Taking long, deep breaths as he filled his lungs with her scent.

Warmth streaked through her when a low growl rumbled in the depths of his throat. Then he flicked his tongue out and swiped it across her sensitized clit—a furtive brush that reminded her of a kitty lapping at its cream. A purr resonated through her body and brought on a shudder.

“So delicious,” he whispered against her trembling sex.

She quivered beneath his invading tongue and gripped the bedsheets, hanging on for what she suspected was going to be the best ride of her life. As though sensing her mounting desire, he took full possession of her pussy. His light, delicate laves turned into long, luxurious strokes, and just like that, he made her come.

Her entire body clenched as an intense orgasm took her by surprise. “Oh God, Slyck,” she cried out, racing her fingers through his thick hair as his mouth devoured every drop of her release. Good Lord, nobody had ever made her come so quickly before.

When her tremors subsided, he pushed on her legs, spreading them even more. His gaze raced over her skin, as though searching for something. His eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of her birthmark. “Jaclyn,” he whispered, his voice edgy, raspy, and very, very shaky.

“What?” she asked.

She hadn’t expected to see such tenderness in his gaze when he looked up at her. “You have the mark of fire.”

Jaclyn glanced between her legs. Her pale café au lait birthmark now flamed red. She touched it. “I think I might be allergic to something,” she said breathlessly. “It’s been inflamed ever since I arrived in town.”

His fingers dug into her thighs. With a tone that was both rough and emotional, he murmured, “Jesus, Jaclyn, you really don’t know, do you?”

With no idea what he meant, and not wanting her allergic reactions to spoil her night, she gripped his head and guided it back to her sex. “I know that I want you to make me come again.”

 

And make her come again he would.

Fiery birthmark temporarily forgotten, he turned his attention to fucking her. Which he planned on doing today, tomorrow, forever. Because everything from the way she aroused and stimulated his panther, to the taste and scent between her legs, and the mark of fire on her thigh confirmed that she was indeed his mate.

With a flash of possessiveness, he climbed up her body and pressed his mouth to hers, seeking more than just a physical connection. After a deep, heated kiss, he worked a path down her body. His hands tugged on her dress, ripping it from her skin like he was a wild animal in heat. He kissed her breasts, sucked on her pert pink nipples, and then positioned himself between her legs.

He wanted to slow down, but he couldn’t think; he could only feel. And this was the most important moment of his life.

His eyes met hers as his cock probed her slick opening, his actions completely consumed by lust. As he pushed his thickness into her, she easily opened up for him, welcoming every inch of him into her body. Her warmth and heat closed around him, completing his soul in ways that he never thought possible, and empowering every inch of his body, the way only a true mate could.

After he fully entered her, a burst of energy swirled around them, explosive, powerful, all consuming. The look in her eyes told him she felt the powerful pull between them every bit as much as he did.

She gripped his shoulders and held him to her as he pumped into her with fevered passion. Moisture sealed their bodies as they rocked together. Blood pounded through his veins so hard, he thought he’d black out, and when her liquid heat singed his cock, he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long.

As though sensing his urgency, she whispered in an unsteady voice, “Come for me, Slyck.”

Something about the way she said his name, so softly, so gently, immediately pulled him into a cocoon of need and desire and propelled them to a deeper level of intimacy. Tenderness stole over him when he sought out her mouth again. His hands crushed through her long silky hair as he pushed deeper and harder. In no time at all, he felt her muscles tighten again, and at that point he let his own orgasm take hold.

He filled her with his seed, splashing every drop high up inside her as he surrendered to the pleasure. Her hands raked through
his hair, and she pulled his mouth to hers as she too rode out her climax.

“Oh wow,” she whispered as he rolled beside her and pulled her in close.

“Wow?” he teased.

“Yeah, that was totally wow worthy,” she replied, her breath still ragged.

When she rested her head on his chest, Slyck gathered the blankets and pulled them over her. He ran his fingers through her hair, thinking about how perfect sex was with her, about how perfect she was.

Slivers of light seeped through the opening in his curtain and cast warm shadows across the bed as they lay there and basked in the afterglow of great sex—the greatest sex of his life, as a matter of fact.

A long while later, in search of answers, he broke the comfortable silence. “Jaclyn?”

“Yeah?” she murmured sleepily.

“What really brought you to Serene?” He wondered if she was here to turn around company sales, or if she had been drawn to the place, drawn to him.

She got quiet for a moment and then said, “It’s a long story.”

He brushed her bangs back, and when he caught her glance, he nearly sobbed with joy.
We-Sa.
His kitten. His mate. “I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Talk to me.”

She blew out a breath, and then began to open up to him. “I did it to appease my parents.”

“Your parents.” He touched her cheek, coaxing her to continue.

Jaclyn then went on to explain everything, from always wanting to visit Serene, and not wanting to disappoint her adoptive parents after they had rescued her from a life of foster care, to the board of directors looking down on her wild behavior.

As he listened, he took it all in, understanding so much more about her and her actions. “So that’s what the conservative clothes are all about?”

“Yeah, I’m changing my image, so you can’t tell anyone about what we did,” she whispered, her lids slipping shut as sleep pulled at her.

“I have no intentions of telling anyone,” he said adamantly, because if he did, there’d be hell to pay.

“Tomorrow we’ll go our separate ways and pretend nothing ever happened,” she added.

Like hell they would.

As she drifted off to sleep in his arms his mind raced, trying to make sense of it all. Once her breathing deepened, he climbed from his bed, flicked on his computer, and went through years of files.

How was it possible that she was panther?

Something in his gut told him this wasn’t the work of a rogue living outside the protective walls. Panthers weren’t attracted to humans, and it wasn’t in their animal nature to change them at will.

After a bit of research, Slyck began to piece together the time frame, recalling the shifter who’d escaped from the walls some twenty-four years ago. Back then, acting with the community’s best interest at heart, Slyck was personally forced to hunt him
down and dole out suitable punishment to the shifter. It was the only way to keep peace amongst all the species and keep the rogue panther’s escape a secret. Slyck glanced at Jaclyn and then back at the computer screen. What he didn’t know at the time, and could only conclude now, was that
his
rogue had impregnated a female during the ordeal—a female panther.

And Jaclyn was the offspring.

Slyck had handled the incident secretly—something he wouldn’t normally do—because if the lycan guide had found out that one of Slyck’s species had turned mutinous, he’d have demanded Slyck’s authority and leadership position be challenged by his first-in-command. And Slyck couldn’t let that happen. Drake might be more prepared now than he had been back then, but he still wasn’t quite up for the tremendous task. And now, as the offspring of the rogue shifter, Jaclyn would automatically be terminated, as per their governing rules, for fear that such offspring would retain rebellious traits of the mutinous parent and uncover their secret community. After all, despite their civilization, they were all still primal beings ruled by instincts, and survival of the fittest.

Which meant that Jaclyn’s life was in danger.

Torn between protecting Jaclyn and following council’s rules, he looked down at the woman in his bed.
We-Sa.
His heart pounded harder in his chest as deep-rooted need unfurled inside him.

Even though it went against everything his community demanded of him, he knew he’d protect her with his life. He also knew he couldn’t let anyone know what she was.

Christ, he was barely keeping peace with the lycan as it was.
The cat-dog relationship was already far too strained, not to mention that Vall was furious with Sunray, one of his strong females. Sunray was an alpha wolf who had a strange fetish for all things kitty, and who just happened to be growing more powerful and restless, challenging Vall’s wolf far too often.

Slyck could no longer force Jaclyn out of town, not now, not after they had mated. It was far too late for that. There was a bond between them that would only grow stronger with time, and without her true mate by her side, she’d eventually die. There was no turning back for him now.

His mind raced, sorting through matters, searching for an option and finding none. His gut rolled.

Oh God, what had he done?

Off in the distance, just past the edge of the town, fingers of warm golden light crept toward the towering mountains while Jaclyn lay beside Slyck in bed. As she took in his warm, rumpled look and listened to his soft breathing sounds, her entire body trembled with longing. Even though she was covered in blankets, she’d never felt so exposed, bare, or vulnerable. This man did something to her. Something that made her feel things she’d never felt before. Truthfully, she’d never responded to anyone the way she responded to him. What was it that made it feel so good, so right with him? She shook her head, unable to put her finger on it.

Even though she wanted him inside her again—she craved the feel of his warm lips on her body and his gentle hands stroking her flesh in the way that only he knew how—she had to admit that for the first time in her life, she actually felt sated. Like the incessant need inside her had finally been assuaged—the hollow filled.

But despite that newfound satisfaction, Jaclyn was here to
change her wild ways, and Slyck certainly wasn’t the kind of guy she could bring home to Daddy. That last thought made her stomach plummet and prompted her into action.