Hunting Ground [Claiming Series, #3]

- 12 -

His arm reached after just a couple of seconds and snared her, drawing her onto his lap.

"Forgive me, ma belle," he said hoarsely. Then he nuzzled into her neck, she felt cool lap of his tongue, and then everything inside her exploded with delight.

She was helpless to stop him, even if she wanted to. Instead, she reached up a hand to cup the back of his head and hold him even closer. She could hear his heart, could feel hers settle into an identical rhythm, a rhythm that soon pulsed through her entire body until even her womanhood throbbed in time with it.

Her head fell back as she gave herself up to sheer enchantment and passion. He had shown her the incredible bliss of a lover's touch but never had she imagined she could reach the same place when he drank from her.

The moments that passed became as intense as any lovemaking they'd shared. Maybe more intense. Pinwheels of light exploded behind her eyelids, and her body throbbed so hard she knew climax was only moments away.

Her thighs tightened, seeking pleasure to answer the need. Her head tipped to one side to grant him better access. With each pull of his mouth, she felt that pull echo in her groin. She had never known anything this erotic. Never imagined it.

All he did was drink, and her core grew heavy and wet. Her breasts felt as if he touched them; her nipples grew so hard they ached. Simply by drinking from her, he wrapped her in shackles of passion so strong they might have been steel.

Her hips rocked helplessly, her body entered the rhythm of his own heart, beating faster and faster as he got stronger with each mouthful of her blood.

Just a little longer. Just a bit more...

But suddenly he tore his mouth from her. "No more," he said. "I'll take too much."

Still sitting on his lap, feeling dazed by the sudden change, Tessa blinked as she looked at him, trying to understand why it had stopped. Why it had needed to stop.

Then the moment was totally interpreted by Asher. "Here, have a bag. I'm sure you didn't get enough from Tessa, to judge by the blood on your clothes."

While Tessa was still trying to recover her grip on the world around her, Kane took the bag and drained it. Then he licked the last shiny remnants from his mouth and looked at her.

She saw that already the burn was fading from his face.

"I can't stay awake much longer," he said.

"You two take my bedroom," Asher said. "I can stay out here in the office. It's almost as well protected, and I'll be available if anyone shows up

"My mother should be coming," Tessa said. "Besides, what difference does it make who uses which room when you're both going to be dead, anyway?"

A quiet chuckle shook Kane's chest. Even Asher laughed.

"The lady had a point," Kane said. "But if your mother sees what I have done, she will probably kill me the instant I awake."

Tessa shook her head. "She won't see. I'll hide it."

"And the coats." Kane paused, his eyelids drooping. "I left your coats on a rooftop several blocks away."

"So what happened to you?" Tessa demanded. "You obviously got attacked."

"I did the attacking. A newborn. One less to face come nightfall. But the jacket...I don't know if it's a problem." He seemed to be drifting away.

"You two go to bed," Tessa said. "Just give me a general idea where the coats are and I'll have my mother get them. She can have someone bring them here."