Page 96 of Griffin Undone
Ilovedher. It was killing me to know we only had one night left together, but if one night was all I could give myself, then by God, I would make it a night worthy of all the ones I’d spend alone in the future.
“Come on, mate,” I said, dragging her inexorably toward the bed.
“Mate?”
The heat in that single word singed my skin. Finally, something. My relief only fed the angry need growing inside me. “That’s right. Mate.”
A low growl erupted behind me, the sound like a dam breaking. I turned, impatient words on my lips, only to have a fierce bloom of pain erupt in my cheekbone.
She’d punched me.
By the time the truth had registered, Kat was almost at the door. With inhuman speed I launched myself after her, wrapped implacable arms around her waist, and lifted her against me. Ignoring Kat’s yelp and her kicking legs, I carried her back to the bed.
“Really, Kat? You punched me?”
“Really, you asshole!”
I threw her onto the mattress. Kat bounced up immediately, scrambling to her knees as she shook out her fist. Those hazel eyes blazed with all the emotion I’d wanted to see. “I’m not your mate, remember?” she snapped. “You gave your mate away.”
“I’m protecting you!”
“From who, you?” Eyes centered on me, she scrambled backward across the bed. “Think about that for a minute before you try to get me naked, Arik.”
I had her wrist and was pulling her back before she could finish saying my name. “Not from me.” That wasn’t totally true, but I was not a danger to her, not physically. She might not believe that with the way I hooked her leg toward me at the same time that I forced her upper body back. Kat ended up splayed on the bed before me, spitting mad and so beautiful she sent every drop of blood in my body from my brain to my cock.
And yes, maybe I was a bastard, but the way she snarled and kicked and punched just made me hotter. Kat wasn’t going down without a fight, even already on her back. Unfortunately for her, a fight was exactly what I was in the mood for. We couldn’t solve this with words. Explanations didn’t mean shit in the face of what we were both feeling. There was only one way to get through this night—for both of us.
I gripped Kat’s hips and dragged her toward the edge of the bed. Toward me. She flipped her body, trying to twist away, but my hold kept her from success. One slender leg lifted to deliver a hard kick to the side of my knee, but I managed to sidestep and slide close between her jean-clad thighs.
Kat growled. “Get off me.”
With a swift grab and stretch, I had both arms pinned beside her head, wrists held to the mattress by my weight on my hands. “You don’t want me off.”
She lifted her head and, right through my shirt, bit savagely into my chest. Fangs and all.
“Damn, Kat!” She let go, lying back as she licked along the sharp points peeking out beneath her lips. Looking satisfied—until she caught the look on my face. If it reflected half the feral surge of lust I was riding right now, she’d better be wary.
The spark of alarm that darkened her pretty eyes said it did.
“Don’t be getting wild on me now, Kitty Kat,” I warned. A smirk sneaked onto my mouth as I savored the rebellious bucking of her body, the tangle of flaming curls around her head, and the throb of her bite right next to my nipple. Just a couple of inches to the left… “I might start to think you want this.”
Not that there was any doubt. Kat reared and strained, trying to free herself—and I let her—but for all her protests, a quick glance down her body showed nipples peaked like hard erasers through both bra and shirt. The scent of her arousal was strong in the room, and a fine sheen of sweat coated her skin. My erection throbbed behind my zipper in time to her heaving breaths, begging in its own way for me to take what I needed. What we needed. Kat’s body proclaimed it as loudly as mine did.
Allowing my fangs to descend, I used one razor-sharp tip to cut through the threads holding the buttons on her shirt. One by one they popped free. Her shirt gaped wider and wider until the last button dropped off and I nudged the material to the side. The fabric at the front of her bra yielded just as quickly, and I dragged my nose along the skin of each creamy, quivering breast, wallowing in her scent and baring her to my sight. The rough brush of my cheeks marked her with my animal’s scent, drawing a pretty flush to the surface. Taut, bright pink nipples stood straight, the skin surrounding them crinkling in the cool rush of air, but other than a short lick of welcome, I didn’t touch them.
The feel of my tongue on her body had Kat moaning, arching her back. Her pelvis cradled mine, her knees at my hips tugging me closer even as she thrashed against me, refusing to give up the fight. Wanting no distractions from my journey down her body, I settled heavily against her mound, using my weight at palms and pelvis to force her to stillness.
In return for her bite, I gifted her with tiny nibbles down the valley between her breasts. The scrape of my fangs against her skin drew a breathy gasp. I rewarded her with a gentle kiss, then a sharp bite along the vulnerable undercurve of one quivering mound. I licked, bit, suckled, sliding my way down from breasts to belly. At her navel I dipped my tongue inside, and Kat jolted against me. When I nuzzled the tantalizing strip of skin just below, she purred her pleasure like the Kat I’d named her.
Damn, I wished I could bury myself inside her forever.
A quick buck of Kat’s hips almost took out my nose.
Using my teeth, I tore through the material surrounding the button of her jeans, opening them. “Be careful, Kitty Kat. We wouldn’t want bites in too-sensitive places, now would we?”
“I’ll show you bites in sensitive places. Bring your ass up here.”
Therewas my smart-ass mate. I chuckled against the fine trail of peach fuzz leading from belly button to mound, tracing it downward as my chin lowered the zipper of her jeans. “Oh no. I’d rather bite your ass, sweet thing.” I slid my hands under her hips to give said ass a rough squeeze. Realizing her hands were free, Kat lunged to escape me. I grasped the waistband of her pants and pulled in the opposite direction. I had her ankle in hand before she could blink.
