“I . . . hope I didn’t scare you.”
He shrugged and took a sip of cold blood.
She winced. “Rajiv warned me I might behave . . . strangely.”
“You mean like a sex goddess?”
Her mouth fell open. “No! I mean, he said I might feel an overwhelming desire to mate, but I’d never mated before, so I didn’t think—”
“You knew?” He plunked the bottle down on the table. “You knew that would happen?”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t—”
“Don’t—” He clenched his fists. “Don’t apologize.”
“I didn’t think anything would happen!” She stepped toward him. “I’m sure it was shocking for you, but it seems to be a completely normal occurrence for were-cats. Think of it as a cultural thing.”
Anger shot through him. “A cultural thing?”
“Yes.” She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just something that happens when a were-cat progresses to the next life.”
“Well, thank God you had a convenient dick nearby!”
With a gasp, she stepped back.
Dammit! He slammed two handguns down on the table along with his cleaning supplies, then sat on a stool to get to work.
“Russell?”
He ignored her as he dismantled the first gun. This was worse than he had thought. She’d simply been driven by an innate need to mate. He’d just been expedient. It hadn’t meant anything personal to her at all. No wonder she was embarrassed. She’d used him. And now she intended to go on with her life, her second life, as if nothing had happened.
“Russell?”
He cleaned the handgun at vampire speed. Tomorrow night, he’d end things with his brother. She would have the revenge she wanted. And then she would be free to marry her prince.
“Russell!”
He glanced up. Damn, she was staring at him with tears in her eyes. Maybe she was taking it personally after all. He set his tools down. “What’s wrong?”
“I—” She closed her eyes with a pained look. “I made a mistake.”
Damn. Why didn’t she just cut his heart out and throw it into a blender? “I thought our night together was a cultural thing. Now it’s a mistake.”
She winced. “That’s what you think?”
He jumped to his feet. “I don’t know what the hell to think!”
She bit her lip. “I made a mistake when I acted like last night wasn’t important. I made light of it because I was trying to hide my shame.”
“You’re ashamed that you slept with me?”
“No! I’m ashamed of the crime I committed.” She squared her shoulders. “I abused you. You tried several times to stop me, but I ignored your wishes. I— I forced you to mate with me, and I—”
“Forced?”
“Yes. I know it’s unforgivable, but I hope—”
“Forced?” He skirted the table to stand in front of her. “You’re forgetting something really big.”
Her gaze lowered to his groin. “I don’t think so.”
He scoffed. “I’m referring to the fact that at any point last night, I could have teleported away. I stayed because I wanted to.”
She blinked. “But you kept trying to stop me.”
“Because you’re engaged. Not because I didn’t want you.” He stepped closer. “Did you force me to kiss your breasts and suck on your nipples?”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Did you force me to push you onto your back so I could thrust deeper inside you? Did you force me to have the biggest damned climax of my life?”
She stared at him, her eyes wide. “Y-you wanted to mate?”
“Yes! So you can stop apologizing or feeling ashamed. I did exactly what I wanted to do. It’s what happens when a man falls in love.”
“You mean—”
“Yes! I’m in love with you.”
She gasped, her hand covering her mouth.
He shifted his weight. Now that his heart was out, she would toss it into the blender by reminding him that she planned to marry someone else.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she moved up close to him. “I was so afraid I had abused you. I couldn’t bear the thought that you would hate me.”
“Never. I love you.”
She gave him a wobbly smile as more tears came down her face. “That’s good. Because I love you.”
He stiffened, his breath caught in his chest. “You . . . ?”
“I finally realized it last night, but the feeling was already there. That’s why I insisted on being with you when I died.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “If I was going to need a mate, I wanted it to be you. It could be only you.”
Something hard but fragile seemed to shatter in his chest, and he cupped his hand around the back of her neck to pull her into a kiss. The sudden move caught her by surprise, so her mouth was open. He took advantage, molding his lips to hers and slipping his tongue inside.
She stiffened, most probably still surprised. He cradled her head in his hands so he could devour her mouth. God, how he needed her. His chest tightened. His groin swelled.
Her hands smoothed over his shoulders and around his neck. Soon her mouth was moving with his, her tongue was stroking his. They kissed till they were breathless and panting against each other’s lips.
He rested his brow against hers. “That’s a kiss.”
“I think I like kissing after all.”
When he opened his eyes, she was tinted pink.
She grinned. “I love it when your eyes turn red. It makes me feel so powerful.”
“You are powerful. You could destroy me with a single word.”
Her fingers delved into his hair. “What word would that be?”
“Good-bye.”
Her eyes widened. “Then we’ll never say it. It would destroy me, too.”
He pulled her close for another kiss. She held him tightly, kissing him back. Her body pressed against him, and his groin grew hard. After ravishing her mouth to the point that she was limp and breathless, he planted kisses along her cheek to her ear.
With a moan, she tilted her head.
He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, then whispered, “I want you naked so I can kiss you everywhere.”
“Oh.” She shivered. “Well, if you insist.” She tugged at his T-shirt, but he pulled it off before she could rip it in two.
“Wait.” She grabbed his hands when he reached for his belt. “I want to undress you.”
“Well, if you insist,” he repeated her words. “Then I’ll undress you.”
“Deal.” With a grin, she unbuckled his belt.
With vampire speed, he unknotted her belt and took off her tunic. Then he undid the drawstring on her trousers and dropped them to the ground. She was down to her panties and camisole before his trousers were unzipped.
She gave him a wry look. “Are you in a hurry?”
“Once I have you naked, I’ll go as slow as you like.”
Her golden eyes gleamed. “Well, if you insist.”
“I do, princess.”
“Cowboy.” She tugged his trousers and underwear down, and his swollen manhood popped out. “Oh, hello. I remember you.”
“You’re going to talk to it?” He kicked off his shoes and trousers.
She stroked him with her fingers. “I may do more than talk.”
“Well, if you insist.” He swooped her up to carry her to the bed. When he sat her down, he pulled the camisole up and over her head. Her breasts bounced free, round and firm, topped with plump, pink nipples.
“Last night happened too fast,” he murmured as he cupped her breasts and felt their weight against his palms. “I wasn’t able to give you the attention you deserve.”
He brushed his thumbs over her nipples and they pebbled. “Look at that. How pretty they are.” He leaned down to run his tongue over the pebbled skin.
She shivered, then slid her hands up his arms to his shoulders. “I love touching you. You’re so beautiful.”
He snorted. “Guys aren’t beautiful.”
“You are.” She smoothed her hands down his chest to his abdomen. “So many muscles.”
“So many curves.” He grazed his fingers along the curve of her waist and hips.