Page 153 of Wolf Caged
Rousing a dangerous, needy heat in my veins.
Chapter 39
KAELERON
It might have been a mistake to blurt that rash set of choices to Saphira.
I struggled for control as we stood in the luxurious bathroom of my quarters on the third floor, her small hands working each button of my wet tunic loose, her body maddeningly close to mine. Her heat seeped through my damp clothes, her pensive face bewitching me as she undid the final button, and her hot hands branding my chilled flesh as she brushed them across my chest, pushing the tunic off my shoulders.
Her scent swirled around me, faintly laced with the sweet tang of desire as she tiptoed and leaned closer, reaching to push the tunic off me. I shrugged out of it and her hands came down on my shoulders, her expression growing more pensive as her eyebrows pitched low and knitted hard, her gaze fixed on the spot where she had bitten me.
She traced her fingers over my skin, the bare caress unbearable as I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to take her in my arms, to trace my own fingers over her supple curves andchart every peak and valley of her body. Slowly. Leisurely. With my lips.
Sense told me to stop her now, to send her away, but I couldn’t bring myself to obey it. I wanted more. Craved more.
The thunder of the water into the gold clawfoot tub next to us was as loud as the weather beyond the arched window as it filled the thick silence, as I battled to keep my hands to myself and resist the needs pounding within me, ones that demanded I carry her into my bedroom, spread her out on my bed and take her.
“It’s healing nicely.” Her voice warbled, betraying the rising nerves I could sense in her.
Not nerves born of fear.
I proved that by stroking my fingers across the exposed marks on her throat. My marks. She shivered, that heady scent of need growing thicker in the air between us, and her eyes slipped shut as she arched into my touch.
Her nerves were born of a need she couldn’t control.
“Saphira—” I started but she stole my wits by tugging at my breeches, fingers nimbly loosening the ties.
She shoved them over my hips, hands grazing my backside, and tugged them down my legs and off me.
Leaving me naked.
And her on her knees before me.
It took all my considerable iron will to resist teasing her to discover whether she liked what she saw.
She stared openly at me, hunger darkening her eyes as her breaths came quicker, and her fingers twitched against her thighs.
“Saphira.” I stepped back and she growled at me.
Growled.
I had heard her growl like that before, when she had been lost to her mating heat and I had dared to deny her what she wanted.
This wasn’t good.
I crossed the room in a handful of strides and grabbed my robe, my bath forgotten as Saphira continued to breathe faster and faster, her eyes growing wider and darker as she remained kneeling on the tiles, short claws pressing into her thighs now.
“I need to run,” she muttered and shot to her feet.
“No, you need a male.” I reached for her and she leaped backwards, shaking her head.
“Just a run. I just have so much energy to burn.” She pulled at her blouse, seemingly unaware of the action as her face twisted. “I just… I need to run. I can burn off this energy.”
Thunder rattled the windows and she twisted towards them, eyes flying wide as her breath hitched.
“You want to run in that?” I jerked my chin towards the storm. “Running will not help you with this. You cannot run from it.”
“I can’t be here.” She clawed her silver hair back, pulling it tight. “I can’t. Oh gods… not again.”
