Kissing the base of her throat, Rannock turned the key. A snick sounded, echoing through the quiet as the lock engaged.
Impatient, she squirmed against him.
The corner of his mouth curved up. His eyes met hers, then dropped to her lips. Lips a hairsbreadth from hers, he said, “Kiss me, Cate.”
Gladly.
Finally.
Halle-freaking-lujah.
After a month of waiting, she had him in her grasp. No more denial. No more distance. No more wishing and wanting with him too far away to touch. Just delight and heat and the promise of intense pleasure on offer.
Heart beating like a bass drum, Cate did as he asked. She kissed him for the first time, stroking deep, delivering her taste, getting a contact high from his as he gave her what she wanted—pulling the tattered pieces of her together, kissing her with so much heat she lost track of everything but him.
11
He should never have given in, but with Cate’s hands on him, Rannock lost control. He felt the slippery slide into dangerous territory the instant her mouth brushed his skin. He wanted her so badly. Had waited a lifetime to meet her. The unfulfilled yearning had been with him so long, he’d lost hope decades ago.
Here, now, with her in her his arms, reality took a back seat as need drove him off the road. He tried to pump the brakes, slow her down, and give himself a chance to decide the best path forward, but…
Angling her head, Cate took the kiss deeper.
His engine fired, roaring into uncharted territory, a place where rules didn’t exist and he wasn’t in control. Nothing compared to Cate. No other female even came close to the way she made him feel and want and… burn to claim her in the way of his kind. His dragon half agreed, all-in to give her what she asked. Fuck the consequences. Throw away his scruples, along with the playbook.
Total insanity.
So completely ill-advised.
No way he should be kissing her back, never mind undressing her. Too bad his hands had a mind of their own—yanking her jacket off, drawing her sweater and T-shirt up, trailing callused fingers along her soft skin. Cate egged him on, whispering to him, telling him what she needed, lifting her arms over her head. He complied without complaint, leaving her half-naked in his arms.
Standing inside the small room, he tossed her clothing aside. Her hands returned to play through his hair.
His conscience squawked, demanding he slow down. His dragon half balked at the suggestion, forcing him deeper into her embrace. Tangling his tongue with hers, he caressed the small of her back, then moved higher. Soft, fragrant skin. She smelled like crushed strawberries with a hint of lime. Beautiful and fresh. Sweet and tart. Just like the female kissing him blind.
Her aura spiked as he cupped her nape. The Meridian surged, butting up against a connection he’d yet to open. One he shouldn’t link in and complete. Not yet. Not until she knew the truth about him and…
Goddess help him.
He needed to do more than slow down. Despite his words to her, he needed to stop… right now.
Hands cupping her arse, Rannock set her down on the countertop. Convenient. Dangerous. Just the right bloody height to love her hard. Already snug between her thighs, pressed tight to her core, he had options. His favorite included stripping her down. Scant separation. A few seconds, and she’d be naked, on display, every inch of her his to touch, tease, and taste.
Her nails scraped over his nape. Her other hand went exploring, dipping beneath his shirt, finding his skin, moving up his bare back and over his shoulder blade.
Rannock shuddered against her. Goddess, she felt good. Beyond amazing. She was passion incarnate, open and ready to take him. A wee siren with an agenda all her own. One full of heat and lust and need. He should’ve known his mate would react this way. Should’ve been prepared for the fallout. Energy-fuse—the magical bone between mates—was too powerful to ignore. Once a warrior found his mate, his drive to please her became absolute. No negotiating with it. No chance of ignoring it. A male went from zero to fully committed in an instant.
Exactly what he was doing with Cate right now.
Spending hours on the phone with her over the last month didn’t help matters. Knowing her only made him want her more.
He knew her hopes and dreams. Understood what drove her and how she felt about those she loved. The loyalty she showed her sire broadcasted his mate’s faithfulness loud and clear. An admirable trait. One Henry Biscayne didn’t deserve, and Rannock wanted to claim.
Everything about Cate appealed to him. Her fiery passion. Her desire to help those in need. Her drive to be the best classic car restorer in the world. And now that he’d gotten a look at her? Hell. Her beauty drew him too. Light blond hair cut into a short, messy bob. Modern. Hard-edged. The hairstyle of a female who knew herself well, ignored beauty standards, and went her own way. Dark blue eyes full of intelligence added to the picture. A curvy body with a fullness that pleased him completed it.
A powerhouse with a mind all her own. A high-energy female with direct ties to the Meridian, capable of feeding him from the source of all living things. Vibrating at his frequency, her bio-energy matched his to the decimal point. Perfect pitch. Precise nourishment for his dragon half. No need for him to do a workaround. Cate gave him what he needed without effort.
His conscience prodded him again.
Breathing hard, Rannock broke the kiss.
Fingers tightening in his hair, Cate murmured a protest.
His mouth jumped to her temple. He kissed the tender spot as his hands settled, one at the base of her spine, the other at her nape. Holding her firmly, unable to resist, he took a sip of her bio-energy. She shivered and, unresisting, relaxed into the feeding. A channel opened inside her. A click sounded inside his head.
The taste of her hit him.
Delicious. Abundant. Beyond all experience.
With a groan, Rannock widened the connection. White-hot energy surged through the link. Lost in the beauty of her, he drank deep. Cate held on tighter, blooming beneath his touch. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. Bloody hell. She was everything. His sun and moon. All the stars in his sky. Her generosity turned him inside out as he nestled in, drawing nourishment from the source, taking what he needed to stay healthy and strong.
Drunk on her, his dragon half settled inside him.
Deep in his arms, Cate whispered his name.
He murmured back, soothing her as gratefulness surged into a tidal wave inside him. Swamped, undone by her, he flexed his hands, unable to believe whom he held. His female. Precious Cate. So bloody beautiful she took his breath away.
He might’ve denied it for a month, but his beast had known the truth all along. All those quiet conversations… her soft voice in the dark. The strength of her spirit spoke volumes, coming through the line each day. The entire reason he kept calling. No matter how many times he told himself not to call her, the need to know more about her drove him forward. He hadn’t been able to get enough.
Now, he understood why.
So full his fingertips tingled, Rannock shut down the connection. Cate sighed. His mouth drifted back to hers. He kissed her softly, thanking her, pleasing her while he took and she gave. Caressing her with gentle strokes, he palmed her ribcage. She shifted in welcome, wanting his touch. Rannock didn’t deny her. Tangling his tongue with hers, he cupped her breast. Soft weight in palm, nipple tight. He set the pad of his thumb over the tip. She arched, rolling her hips, riding the ridge of his erection as he applied more pressure.