Predator - A Stand Alone Suspense Romance (23 page)

I need to get a new TV tomorrow. I get up on a sigh and switch the damn thing off. I walk into the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I reach for the toothpaste, I notice that it’s finished. I crouch down and open the cupboard under the basin so I can get a new one. That’s when I see it … pills.

She’s on the pill? When did she start the pill? Fuck that! More important, why did she start the pill?

I brush my teeth and then stalk to the bedroom. Tonight I’m getting some answers. I flick on the light.

“We need to talk,” I say, sitting down on the side of the bed.

She opens her eyes and watches me warily as she scoots to the middle of the bed.

“I won’t let us fall into some fucked up routine where we ignore each other when we’re home. If you feel you have to leave and find your own way, I won’t stand in your way. But, if you’re going to stay with me, then we need to talk about us.”

She swallows hard. “I don’t want to leave,” she whispers.

“Why?” I ask. This is one of the most important questions she’ll ever have to answer.

She starts to fiddle with the cover and whispers, “I want to stay with you, because…” She swallows again looking nervous as hell. “You’re my life now.”

A smile plucks at my lips after hearing her answer. We would’ve had a huge problem if her answer was because I kept her safe. We can’t build a sexual relationship on that. Then it would be better if we stay friends.

But, she didn’t say that. She said I was her life and that makes a huge difference to where we go from here.

Cara~

The past few weeks have been agonizing. Not knowing where I stood with Damian. Not knowing if I’ve ruined my only chance with him. It’s been killing me.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t know if I’m ready for sex unless I actually try it. It’s just … the word sex brings up images of pain and despair.

I really want this. I want a future so badly it hurts. I want that future to be with Damian and only Damian. He’s the only person who has survived my enemies. He’s the only one who is strong enough.

I scoot closer and I glance up at him from under my lashes. “I really want to try with you.”

His eyes are intense as they bore into mine. “You have to be sure, Cara.” I can hear the concern in his voice and it melts my heart.

“You saved all of me and I want to give that to you.” When his hand cups my cheek, I take a breath, and then he leans in and he presses his lips to my forehead and my stomach drops. He’s going to reject me … again.

“Remember what I said?” he whispers against my skin. “I fuck hard and fast, and babe, you deserve soft and slow. I want to fuck you, but more than that, I want you to be sure that you’re ready for it.”

I ignore what he just said. I’ve already put myself out on a ledge here and I might as well jump.

I try a different approach hoping for better results. “I have a problem,” I whisper instead. My heart leaps to my throat.

I feel his hand move to my side and his fingers brush over some exposed skin. It’s a start.

He lifts his other hand to my face and tucks some of my hair behind my ear. His eyes are dark as they scan my face.

“What?” he asks. I glance away, out the window at the dark night and then back. I see the muscle start to move on the side of his jaw.

“I’ve-” I can’t say the words. I drop my eyes to his mouth that’s slightly open. “I’ve never made…” I let it trail away again and swallow hard. I fist his shirt for a second in frustration that I can’t even say the words and then splay my fingers open wide. I mean it’s us.

“You haven’t…” He lowers his head and I hold my breath. I lift myself to my knees and one of his hands moves from my waist to my hip. His fingers curl over squeezing into my butt. One more inch and our lips will touch. I need our lips to touch. There’s a burning want in me for our lips to touch.

“You have a problem,” he whispers. His voice is real low and it sends shivers over every inch of my body, “that you want me to solve.” The words are hot against my lips.

I moan because I can’t express what I want in words. He takes a breath as if he’s breathing the moan in. His other hand moves to the hem of my shirt and he pulls it over my head. My heart races up along with the material that passes between us and it rushes to meet his mouth as he leans in, brushing his lips over my pulse.

“Remember I told you to be careful what you ask of me,” he says and his breath fans over my neck. I drop my head back and close my eyes when he presses his chest against mine, pushing me back slowly.

I feel the shirt’s cold buttons on my stomach. I slowly move back, and when he follows my heart soars. He covers my body with his and I feel his hard-on press against me as he rocks his hips forward once. His hands grab my thighs and he lifts me. I wrap my legs around him and he moves forward, fast, and then his body crushes mine into the mattress as he settles us in the middle of the bed.

My senses crackle around me and I feel only Damian. I hear only him. He bites at my neck, nipping it just. I don’t expect soft and sweet. Damian has never been soft and sweet.

I gasp when his fingers tighten around my thighs, bunching some of the material together. He yanks at my slacks, ripping them off faster than I can normally get them on. I drop back when both his hands settle low on my abdomen, right over my panties.

My heartbeat changes. It goes from fast to erratic. He’s really going to solve this problem. He doesn’t remove my panties but instead crawls over me. His eyes are black and I let myself reach up. I feel the muscle jumping under my fingers and every movement tells me he’s serious.

“We need to clear one thing,” he says and I take a breath. “We don’t do I love you’s and shit like that. The day that starts, things just go bad. We trust each other,” he says, and I can hear the hunger in his voice that reflects on his face.

I nod. He’s right.

I take a shallow breath.

He lowers his head and kisses me right above my right breast. “We respect each other.” His voice is much softer when he kisses me right above my left breast. “We’ll have sex.” I flush but I keep my eyes on him as he moves to press his lips to right between my breasts. “And we will always…” He takes hold of my panties and my heart explodes through my chest. As he begins to slide the material down my legs, he finishes, “always have each other’s back.”

His mouth burns a hot trail over my stomach and down my abdomen. Goosebumps spread over my skin and when he comes up to cover my body with his, I realize he’s still fully dressed.

Damn, he’s good.

I’m really starting to think he can read my mind because a smile spreads across his face as I lay naked in front of him and he towers fully clothed over me.

“Now that I have you where I want you,” he says. The look on his face turns fully predatory and it makes me want to squirm – with pleasure. “What will I do with you?”

He wets his lips and my eyes follow every inch of his tongue. I suck in a breath and his eyes drop to my mouth and then lower to my chest. I’m going to go up in flames just from him looking at me. He’s seen me naked before but never with those eyes … that look.

Finally, he lifts his hand and starts by my lips. He presses his finger against my lips and I open my mouth, taking a taste of his skin. That one finger slips down the dip of my chin, down my neck and into the valley between my breasts. My body starts to quiver with want and there’s no fear in sight.

He continues dragging his finger down to my stomach and he goes even slower once he reaches my abdomen where the bullet wound is. His caress is extra gentle over the raised skin, and then he moves down south and I close my eyes.

Did I mention he’s good? I did? Well, he’s good!

All of a sudden he takes hold of my thighs, opening my legs. I’m totally open to him as he hovers over me. He leans into me and his breath rushes over my ear as he nips at my earlobe.

His finger slips into me and I can’t stop the gasp that bursts over my lips. My blood rushes through my body, making heat pool between my legs. A soft moan drifts over my lips.

This is good. This I can do. I love this.

“I want to hear more of those,” he growls in my ear, and my body shudders against him.

He continues to thrust his finger into me, making my hips jerk for more of him. Just as I want to dig my nails into him, he moves, leaving me a quivering mess at the loss of his touch.

He starts to unbutton his shirt and then leaves me lying naked and gasping on the bed. I lift myself on my elbows and I’m about to start thinking clearly when I hear the rip of foil. My mouth dries right up. I mean, there’s not a drop of moisture. It feels as if my tongue has turned to stone.

He removes his shirt and then he drops his jeans, stepping out of them. I drop back to the bed. Now I understand the meaning of well-endowed. Everything about him is hard. I mean, everything!

I dare a tentative glance at his face. His eyes are on mine as the bed shifts under his weight. I didn’t realize how cold I was until his hand touches my leg. He spreads me open wider and crawls up my body.

His hand settles on the flat on my stomach. “You’re cold, Gorgeous,” he whispers.

I have a sensory overload as he lies down on top of me, covering me with his warmth. He places an arm on either side of my head and heat flows over my face. “I’ll have to warm you … again.”

I give him a trembling smile. “I like the sound of that,” I whisper back. I don’t want to ruin this moment. The memories are threatening to break through and it will ruin it all.

He presses his lips to my forehead and against each of my cheeks. And then he dips his head to my neck and I lose him to my breasts.

At first I feel the sting of loss. It’s as if he’s making the point that this is only meaningless sex by not kissing me on the lips.

This is him removing another man’s touch from my body and replacing it with his own.

It’s all it is … him fixing me. 

He presses a kiss to my breast and then he asks, “Are you sure?”

Am I?

I am!

I’m sure I am.

Shit, I’m at least ninety percent sure.

“Uh-huh,” I mumble.

He settles his elbows on either side of my head again and stares down at me. He tilts his head and then I feel his hard length pressing against my opening.

My whole body stills and I feel fear fluttering through my chest.

“I need to hear the word
yes
from you,” he whispers.

I nod and he waits.

I wet my lips and open my mouth but nothing comes out.

This is Damian.

I love Damian.

Damian will never hurt me.

I’m safe.

“Yes,” I say through parched lips, but the word is clear.

He adjusts himself over me, taking some of his weight from my chest and I can see him better. And then I feel him better, too. He rolls his hips slightly forward and I resist the urge to back-peddle my body from under his as the head of his hard-on presses into me.

His hand drops immediately to my butt, holding me in place. He doesn’t move, except for his eyes searching my face.

“Cara.” My eyes snap up from his lips to meet his. My chest is rising and falling fast, brushing against him, and every touch is electric. “Are you ready?” he asks again.

I nod. My eyes skip from his mouth to his eyes and back. I keep nodding. “Yes,” the word rushes from me. And then my breath slams into my throat and pain burns and stretches inside of me as he slams into me.

He stills over me and I feel his breath on the corner of my mouth. The teasing is painfully sweet. I’ve never wanted something so bad like I want the taste of him on my lips. He rolls his hips back and I wince at the painful sensation. When he thrusts forward again my fingers dig into his back and his breath rushes out over my jaw.

As he withdraws I feel something pull deep within me. He lifts his head to look at me and rolls his hips in harder than before.

A strangled moan gets lost in a gasp and I tilt my hips up to give him better access. His breathing falters. I drag my nails up his back as he pulls back and when he thrusts in, I tilt my hips up to meet him. The pain isn’t as intense then.