Once Bitten, Twice Burned

So his fingers touched her sex.

“Wet.”

And she knew he wasn’t talking about the rain that kept falling.

The rain was making the humans scatter. That was where the voices and laughter were coming from. The humans were running in the rain.

She and Ryder . . . they weren’t running.

Two of his fingers pushed into her.

She rose onto her toes. Tried to yank her hands down so she could touch him, but Ryder wasn’t letting her go.

His fingers thrust into her, again and again, as his thumb worked over her clit. She twisted her h*ps in an attempt to demand more of his touch.

He gave her more.

His mouth stayed on hers, his kisses deep and drugging as the rain fell, and his fingers kept stroking her. Light and easy then deep, demanding. Pushing and taking until her sex was clamping eagerly around him and then—

She came.

A release that shook her body and had her h*ps thrusting hard against his hand. A release that sent pleasure spilling through her and driving deep the realization that—

I’m alive. I can feel. I can want. I can need.

I can love.

He still had her hands pinned. His fingers stroked her, softly now, as the aftershocks of pleasure hit her.

His jaw was locked. His eyes blazing. His control was still there, hanging by a thread.

He’d held on to that control, for her. But she didn’t want that control. She wanted all of him.

His fingers slid out of her. Gave her one last caress. He started to lift her jeans back into place.

“No.”

Now she did pull her hands from his hold. Because he let her. “Ryder, I want you.”

“I’m . . . trying to be stronger.”

She put her hands on his chest. “You don’t always have to be strong with me.” Her whisper. “With me, you can break.”

He wanted to. She could see the struggle on his face.

So she made it easier on him.

She spun around. Slapped her hands against the wall and kicked away her jeans. Sabine lifted her hips, arching so that her ass—

Ryder growled. Then his body was surrounding her. Cradling her. Covering her. If anyone saw them now . . .

I don’t care.

He adjusted his clothes. Parted her sex and pushed deep into her.

The pleasure hadn’t stopped. When he thrust into her, when he drove deep, the sensations nearly ripped her apart.

Too much.

So good.

So . . . Ryder.

Her next release contracted around him, tightening around his cock. He thrust. Withdrew. Thrust.

The rhythm was frantic. Desperate.

Then he was stiffening behind her. Holding her even tighter. Coming.

In the rain.

In the alley.

With her.

His body shuddered. His arms curled around her and hugged her. And he pressed a kiss to her neck. Not a bite. A kiss. Right over the wound that was finally healing.

In silence, he withdrew from her. Ryder straightened her clothes, his. His hands steadied her when her knees wanted to tremble.

Then he turned her around and stared into her eyes.

They were soaked through.

And she was so sated she just wanted to sink into his arms.

“When you come for me, your eyes burn.”

Sabine blinked. That wasn’t what she’d expected to hear.

“When you touched the primal who attacked you, smoke rose from your fingers. His chest . . . it burned.”

She didn’t remember that. She’d just been afraid. Desperate.

“When I kiss you, I can almost taste the fire.”

Was that good? Bad?

“You’re so much more than I ever expected.”

So was he.

He put his forehead against hers. Held her tighter. “If I could go back, I’d change it all.”

“There isn’t any going back.” She didn’t even want to look back. Why see the scars? “I just want to go forward.” She drew in a breath. “I’m ready to leave this town. Let’s forget about Keith. He doesn’t have my brother. He doesn’t have anything that I need.”

“He’ll hunt us.” Ryder shook his head. Raindrops slid off him. “I don’t want you always looking over your shoulder. I can finish this mess. If he’s the last tie connecting you to Genesis, then we sever the tie and make you free.”

Her laughter was weak. “There’s always another tie and another . . .” She just wanted to start new. To do that looking-forward bit, with him. “I want . . .”

You.

They’d never talked emotions. Just lust and need and power.

But it was more than just lust. What she felt for him was so much more.