“Yes.”

They sat in charged silence. The tantalizing scent of citrus, wood, andZade weakened her resolve. He smelled soooo good. The unique combination would be forever burned into her memory. Clean. Masculine. Sexy.No! Don’t give in! Be strong!

His mouth slowly descended, slipped in through her parted lips, took charge, demanded a response. She finally gave in, surrendered to his will. It felt so good, so right, as he drew her deeper under his spell.

Arms like steel bands, he effortlessly pulled her closer. Dominant. Powerful.Alpha.Her willpower crumbled as desire stabbed deep in her core. Her inner walls, achingly empty, clenched with need as his hands wandered, roamed over her body.

He captured her wrists in one large hand and pulled them behind her head, locking her in place. The position arched her shoulders back, raised her breasts, already heavy and aching, in the offing. His dominance, like a match to tinder, ignited a raging fire within her.

Her pulse quickened; her breath came in short bursts. Her nipples, already sensitized, pebbled harder, into tingling little buds clearly delineated through her t-shirt. She didn’t have to wonder if he noticed. He gave a low, masculine sound of approval then spent the next few minutes teasing them with his mouth.

Every playful tug of his teeth sent a zing of pleasure racing through her body, supercharged lightning striking a direct hit. Desire, dark and hungry, ate away at her resistance. “Please.”

“Please stop or please continue?” he asked, his voice deep and guttural, just as affected as she.

His hand, the one free to roam, stroked her inner thighs, hips, and the rounded globes of her bottom, every touch enticing, tempting her to spread her legs and beg him to fill her. Drill deep. Stop or continue. Was that the question? Her logicalmind was in a losing battle, shoved aside by the carnal needs driving her body.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

She shook her head to clear the fog, then let out a cry, her eyes opening wide in surprise as he moved his hand to cup her through her jeans, pressing as deeply as the soft, stretchy denim would allow, kneading, grinding the material against her engorged clit. Her hips arched up off his lap when he hit the right spot. “Ah!”

Zade let out a deep, masculine growl of satisfaction. “Your body begs me to continue. Shall we take that as your answer?”

Ashlyn screamed in frustration. “No! I’m not begging!”

His hand froze, his eyes leisurely traveled up her body until they connected with her own. His stare was intense. Determined. “Are you sure about that?”

He leaned down and murmured in her ear, “You forget I am not human. I can smell your desire and if I had to guess, I would bet your panties are wet beneath your leg coverings.”

She flushed with guilty embarrassment. “You would be wrong.”

His hand moved, lightning fast, to the top button of her jeans and popped it open. “Shall we check?”

Ashlyn tensed. “You wouldn’t.”

His response was to slip his hand into her loosened jeans, the soft, stretchy fabric no hindrance, to unerringly sink one long, thick finger deep inside her. They both groaned long and loud.

“My only mistake,” he said, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slow, burgeoning smile, “was in thinking you wore any. You’re soaking wet,shenga.”

“Bastard.”

He chuckled. “I am beginning to understand you. Open,” he ordered, his tone and demeanor changing to one of absolute command.

Cursing her desire to obey him, to give in to the pleasure she knew would come if she did, she spread her knees, giving him unhindered access to her body. He added another finger, pushed deep and found the spot that drove her crazy while his thumb flicked and teased her engorged nub. His touch was like an inferno, burning through her every defense.

He worked her into a state of frenzy, then stopped just before she could climax. She mewled like a kitten in protest, the soft whimper nearly breaking his resolve. “You still have not answered my question. Do you want me to stop, or do I continue and give us both what we need?”

“You know what I want. Please don’t ask me to choose you. Please…” she panted, her heart pounding in her chest. There were a dozen reasons she should choose him and only one not to; the truth. She wanted him for real, for keeps. She didn’t give a shit about the Council seat, definitely didn’t want to live on Cappra, didn’t want to be a politician for the rest of her life. She only wantedhim.

"Stubborn female. I'm not asking you to choose me." His long fingers stroked hard and deep, amplifying every sensation, every stroke, forcing her higher and higher, setting off an explosive climax, as he uttered softly, “I'm telling you that you already have.”

A moan of pure joy escaped her as the wave crested, pounded through her body, radiated outward from her core with an intensity that made her dizzy. The tang of citrus and wood filled the air, locking his scent, this moment, into her memory as he propelled her relentlessly over the edge.

She cried out, trembling as he pushed a third finger deep inside her, stretching her, readying her for his cock, his rhythm strong and steadily increasing. She knew what they were doing was wrong, she’d chosen someone else, yet she couldn’t stopherself. This was what she really wanted all along; wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything.

Hands locked behind her, legs open, she was at his mercy. Pull and thrust; his fingers worked her into a mindless pool of aching desire, pushed her into that place where nothing else existed, carried her away from all her troubles, into a world of pure sensation. Her whole body shook uncontrollably as she clenched rhythmically around his fingers.

“That’s it,shenga. You know you’re mine. Come for me.”