Relentless (13 page)

Moving slow so he wouldn't startle her, he took her delicate face in his hands. Nev was subconsciously wary of him, so he had to be careful not to crowd her. Keeping that firmly in mind, he leaned in to kiss her. Her sharply indrawn breath was her only protest as he brought his mouth down. He settled his lips against hers. A quiet brushing, to let her know that no matter how much he wanted her, he had complete control over his strength and would be gentle with her. In response, she slid her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, her lips soft and warm, tasting of spearmint as he slid his tongue inside to stroke hers.

She let out a breathless moan and wiggled closer, setting him on fire with the way her firm body pressed full length against him. The soft mounds of her breasts pushed against his chest. One of her knees slid between his, her thigh not quite touching his groin, but close enough to have him rock hard in his dress pants. And aching to pull up her dress, unzip his fly and push into her.

His arms went around her back, one hand coasting up her spine to cradle the back of her head in his palm to hold her as close as he could. The heavy weight of her thick, shiny hair spilled over his arms and shoulders, enveloping him in a luscious, scented cloud. His starved senses feasted on the sensory input. God, he'd been empty and cold for so long... And Neveah was the heat he needed to melt the core of ice inside him. The strength of his need shocked him.

Her fingers crept up to cradle his head as she angled her mouth for deeper contact, caressing the sensitive inside of his mouth. Her fresh, lemony scent enveloped him, swirling through his consciousness in another layer of sensation. She smelled good enough to take a bite of.

Tamping down his rising hunger, he took a little more, still in control of his needs. But the beast was inside him, prowling restlessly. Her mouth was so soft and inviting, the little moans coming from her throat turning his muscles to steel. The dark part of his nature wanted to push her onto her back on the floor and completely dominate her with his power.

He wanted to watch her eyes flare with arousal and a trace of unease as she realized how helpless she was, then take her apart with a well executed seduction campaign that left her writhing and begging him to take her. And then, when she was twisting beneath him and blind with pleasure, he'd thrust inside her hard and deep until she came over and over again. Christ, he could see it happening in his mind as he kissed her, fighting to stay mellow and be a gentleman.

Neveah arched her back and flattened her breasts against his chest, moaning as she rubbed against him with a feline motion of enjoyment.

God. Rhys tightened his hold on her hair and clamped down on his baser needs to pin her flat beneath his weight. Just kissing her was the most erotic experience of his life, but the driving need to dominate kept getting in the way. It scared him. He didn't want to do anything to frighten her or destroy the fragile trust she had in him, but if they kept this up he wasn't sure he could hold on. She awakened needs in him that no one else ever had. With Nev, he wanted more than he'd ever wanted before. He wanted to possess her. Literally, and with a power that shocked him. He wanted her submission and her surrender, her passion. God dammit, he wanted her
soul.

Shaken, Rhys disengaged gently and moved back, gritting his teeth at the way she whimpered and reached for him. Wanting more. He closed his eyes. That's what he wanted: for her to need him with every cell in her being, and for her to feel empty without his touch.

What kind of a selfish bastard was he, to want that from her?

He sucked in a breath when she ignored the gentle pressure of his hands in her hair, holding her away, and leaned in to set her lips against his throat. Her tongue flicked out to tease his skin, making his fists tighten in her hair. She had no clue what she was doing to him. No idea what he wanted to do to her or how close to the edge of his control he was. Or what would happen if that darker side won out.

For a brief moment he allowed himself to feel the hot glide of her tongue, but then he set her firmly away from him. It was best for both of them.

Her eyes were so dark with longing the pupils all but swallowed the blue of her irises. “I don't want you to stop,” she whispered, her lips rosy and swollen from his kisses. Her long hair was disheveled, framing her flushed cheeks.

He wanted to strip the form-fitting dress off her and see if the rest of her was just as rosy with that same flush of desire. Then he'd pin her arms over her head and make her sob with ecstasy while he feasted on her tight nipples and finally between her long, toned thighs. A low growl vibrated up from his chest.

“I want you so much,” she said, stroking her fingertips over his face.

“I can't do this,” he said gruffly.

She stilled, looking into his eyes. “Why not?”

“Just can't.” Wouldn't. Even if his dick felt like it was about to explode from the unrelieved pressure.

Neveah cocked her head and studied him for a moment. “You're afraid of hurting me, aren't you?”

Christ, how did she do that? Crawl around in his head and find the answers to things he didn't even understand?

A gentle smile crossed her face, so full of tenderness and adoration he almost reached for her. “You would never hurt me.”

“No.” Not on purpose, anyway. He'd rather die. Accidentally? That was another matter entirely, and the possibility scared the shit out of him. He didn't want to ruin this. She meant too much to him to allow that to happen.

“You know what?”

He had a feeling he didn't want to.

“You don't need to stay in control all the time. That's the great thing about sex. You get to let go.”

She had no idea what she was saying. She didn't realize the strength of the darkness inside him. He wasn't about to let her sacrifice herself to his inner demons to help him heal.

Keeping his touch gentle, he took her head in his hands and pressed a long, desperate kiss to her forehead. Then he let go and stepped back, grabbing his jacket and shoulder holster from the closet. He paused at the doorway, almost afraid to look at her.

She was still standing where he'd left her, her arms wrapped around her waist.

His heart lurched.
Walk over there
, the voice in his head commanded.
Walk over there and take her. You know she wants it.

Rhys ignored it. His hand tightened on the knob, fighting with himself. “Nev, I— ”

“It's all right. I think I understand. I'll be fine, just disappointed and horny as hell.”

His cock pulsed in his dress pants. Jesus, why did she have to be so frigging honest all the time?

She sighed, but put on a smile and waved a hand at him in dismissal. “It's okay, just go. I'll see you tomorrow.”

He didn't feel right about leaving her alone, even though she might be safer if he left. “Call me if you need anything.”

She arched a brow as he turned away, kicking himself for saying something so utterly stupid. Her voice made him pause halfway out the door.

“Fair warning, Rhys. I never give up on something I want.”

He shouldn't have been surprised by the direct challenge in her voice. The dominant, aroused male in him almost turned around to stake his claim and show her just who was in charge of what lay between them. Thankfully the civilized part of him won out, but he still looked at her over his shoulder.

Her eyes gleamed with resolve and unfulfilled hunger. “I'm going to do everything in my power to change your mind.”

Friday

Next afternoon once the lectures were over, Rhys picked her up to take her into White Rock where she would meet Bryn and the bride-to-be while he went to some sort of meeting. She knew better than to ask about it, and stayed quiet on the forty minute drive, grateful for the break from the conference.

A new tension existed between them now, and this one was as big as it was awkward. Nev still couldn't believe she'd let him walk out on her last night. For hours afterward, even though she'd taken a hot bubble bath and crawled into bed to get some sleep, she'd ached with unfulfilled need all night. The orgasm she'd been reduced to giving herself was a bland and ultimately unsatisfying substitute for what he'd have delivered, but it was all she'd had to keep from going crazy.

Casting a glance at him, she wondered what he'd do if she flat out told him about it. After toying with the idea for several minutes, she decided to let it go. She'd already thrown herself at him once and didn't care to be rejected like that again, even if he had done it out of a misguided effort to protect her.

“You sure you're okay with this?” Rhys asked as he parked in front of the gorgeous pale yellow Victorian-style house.

“Sure, I'll be fine. I've always wanted to meet Bryn.” Sam told incredible stories of bravery about Bryn, like she was some sort of mythical Amazon woman.

Tugging at the hem of her snug pencil skirt, Nev peered out at the manicured lawn and beautifully kept yard full of neatly trimmed shrubs and hedges. More like a park than a yard. The place must be something in the spring and summer when all the flowers came out.

Rhys pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Meeting shouldn't take too long. I'll be back to get you as soon as I can.”

She waved his concern away. “Take your time. I think I'm going to have fun, and this way I'll get to know the bride a bit so I'll enjoy the wedding even more.” Plus it would give her a few hours of distraction from wanting Rhys so badly she could scream. She wasn't the screaming type, but suspected he might be able to make her if they ever got naked together.

Before she could climb out, he rounded the hood and helped her down with a steadying grip on her arm. As always, his touch never failed to wreak havoc on her neurological system, but she hoped it jolted him as much as it did her. Only fair that he suffered too, since he had called a halt last night.

His gaze lingered over her hips and her calves left bare below the hem of her skirt, the muscles emphasized by the four-inch pumps she wore. Good. At least she knew he wasn't unaffected by her presence.

He led her up the front steps onto the wide porch and rang the doorbell. Rushing footsteps sounded a moment later, and then the door swung open.

Nearly as tall as her, a woman with long dark brown hair stood in the opening and broke into a huge smile. “Rhys!” She leapt across the threshold and launched herself into his arms. Nev watched in awe as he caught her and returned the warm embrace with a chuckle, his whole demeanor relaxed and happy.

“Hey, little girl.”

“God, you look fantastic!” Letting go, the woman turned that mega-watt smile on her. “You must be Neveah. I'm Bryn.”

“Yes, hi. It's nice to meet you.” She shook Bryn's hand and approved of her firm grip.

“I've been dying to meet you.”

She grinned. “Well here I am.”

“Get in here,” Bryn said, grabbing her arm to drag her inside. “We'll take good care of her,” she said to Rhys.

“I know you will.” His gaze met Neveah's. “I've got my cell on if you need me.”

“Okay. See you.” He loped down the steps and Bryn closed the door.

Nev gazed around the cozy great room with its pale cream walls and warm-toned hardwood floors. The furnishings were homey but elegant, the kind that made you want to sink into the sofa with a good book. “Wow, this is some house.”

Bryn laughed. “Christa's going to love you for saying that.”

She followed Bryn into the kitchen, a gorgeous marvel of white country cabinets and pale granite countertops with every conceivable cooking appliance known to man. She caught the scent of rosemary and garlic plus something chocolaty and her mouth watered. “What is that heavenly smell?”

“Christa.” Bryn went up on tiptoe to get two glasses out of one of the cabinets. “She and Rayne's mom have been cooking for two days together. They're ridiculous. Throwbacks, I swear. All they need are the ‘50s dresses and they'd both be fricking June Cleavers.”

Nev smiled and took the glass Bryn offered, loving how comfortable Bryn seemed in her friends’ house. Kind of like when Nev was at Sam's place.

“Red?”

“Please.”

A jingling sound brought her head around, then a black-and-white dog with a lot of border collie in it trotted up, wagging its tail.

“You like dogs?” Bryn asked.

“Love them,” Nev answered, bending to scratch the dog's ears.

“That's Jake, and he's a total mooch, so watch your food.”

Nev patted the dog for another moment, then took her wine from the counter. With a full glass of cabernet, she followed Bryn into the family room. Passing a framed photo of who she assumed were the bride and groom-to-be, she stopped short. Setting her wine down, she peered closer at the image. She felt like rubbing her eyes as she stared at the groom.

“Rayne looks exactly like Luke, doesn't he?”

Nev glanced at her. “It's unreal.” She picked up her glass. “I thought it was Luke when I first looked.”

“Rayne's a few inches taller, built at bit bigger, and he's got hazel-green eyes. But if Luke dyed his hair to cover the gray, those are the only ways you'd be able to tell them apart.”

Turning from the picture, Nev rounded the end of the loveseat and sank into it, already at ease. “Where is the bride, by the way?”

“She'll be down in a while. She and Emily are busy hanging
the
dress
.” She gestured to the bags of colored jelly beans and rounds of colored tulle on the coffee table. “This is the job I've been assigned. Wanna help me?” Jake flopped down at her feet and laid his chin on her toes.

“Sure.” She knelt on the pretty woven rug and copied Bryn, adding a handful of candy to each piece of material and tying it off with a complementary ribbon, each with a tag that thanked the guests for coming to the wedding.
Today is the day I marry my best friend.

Nev withheld a sigh. Wouldn't that be nice?

“I was hoping Rhys would bring you out tonight,” Bryn said as she set down one of the favors and picked up her wine, her long fingers curled around the bowl of the glass. “I've heard a lot about you from Sam.” Her smile was warm and sincere. “She sure loves you a lot.”