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  She laughed, pulling back and shaking her head. “No touching yet. Just stand there and enjoy it, Gavin.”

  He arched one eyebrow. She could see the challenge in that look. His hands fell away from her head and back to his side. They both knew she couldn’t make him drop his hands if he didn’t want to do it. Well, not without a tranq gun, but the fact that he did it gave her a real thrill. It was moments like this that she knew the man already had at least a piece of her heart, although she suspected it was probably her entire heart, in the palm of his big hand.

  She smiled widely up at him. Smoothing her hands over the hard muscles, she scraped her nails over the hard plane. His muscles flexed and his breath hitched. She leaned down and drew her tongue over the pebbled nub. From the corner of her eyes, she saw his arms move.

  “You really expect me to stay still and not put my hands on your gorgeous breasts.” He let his eyes travel down to her breasts. She felt the nipples tighten and the lining of her bra seemed suddenly abrasive.

  “I would say put them in your pockets, but you won’t be wearing your pants soon.” She kissed her way down his chest and nipped at the skin over his ribs. Her hands smoothed downward, blazing a trail for her lips to follow. She added to the sensation by scraping her nails along the path down to the waistband of his dark pants.

  “If you push me to the edge and you’re not ready…” His voice trailed off as if in warning.

  She drew back enough to arch her brow at him in a challenge of her own. That threat didn’t fly, she knew him too well. “You’ll get me there if I’m not wet and aching for you.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her in irritation. She decided to wipe that look right off his face before he could decide to say something else. Her hand slid down and cupped over the hardened ridge of his cock. Stroking her palm up and down in slow, smooth glides over the slightly rough fabric, she locked her eyes with his.

  His eyes widened. He groaned and his hips flexed, pushing the bulge more firmly into her hand. Trying to keep a big grin from curving her lips, she pulled away from the temptation there. She wanted to see, taste and explore. It wasn’t the first time she’d had that chance, but she’d definitely enjoy it more.

  Her fingers went to the fastening of his pants. She unfastened the single button and then slowly drew the zipper down. This wasn’t the time for any accidents or snags. She wanted him naked now so she could run her hands all over him. The thought of his warm skin left her wanting to touch him even more and more. Pushing his pants down his legs, dragging his boxers with them, she was forced to stop to take off his shoes. So many clothes. She didn’t know how he managed to get out of them so quickly.

  At least he wasn’t wearing boots or those high top sneakers he favored at times. No, tonight, it was polished black dress shoes. She tugged at the simple leather laces, and when he lifted his foot, was able to slip the shoe right off. Once she had that off, she tugged the pants free of that leg and impatiently waited for him to lift the other foot.

  Her palms almost itched with the need to touch him. The sight of his cock standing proud of his body didn’t help much. She wanted to feel the heat and length of him in her hands almost as much as she ached to feel it thrusting deep into her pussy.

  At times, she didn’t know how she managed to keep her hands off him. As soon as she managed to get the last of his clothes off, she was going to stroke and caress until he stopped her. Tossing the second shoe away, she freed his leg from the pants and hurled them over her shoulder. She rose to her knees and looked up to meet his eyes. A slow grin curved her lips when she saw the heat in his gaze.

  She lowered her eyes to the thick shaft. A bead of precum glistened on the darkened head of his cock. She licked her lips, but she wasn’t ready to simply take him into her mouth. She wanted to make him wonder when he was going to feel her mouth there.

  From his teasing, she knew anticipation could burn almost as intensely as the most erotic touch. She ran her hands along the back of his calves, feeling the muscles tighten. Leaning close, she drew her tongue over his knee before pulling back and skimming her palms higher. She traced the fingers of one hand over the damp spot on his knee.

  As she planted a kiss just above his knee, she drew her fingernails down the backs of his thighs. Exploring his body was definitely having an effect on hers. Her stomach tightened and an ache throbbed in her clit. A growl rumbled from Gavin. His hands cupped the back of her head. Grinning, she scraped her teeth over his leg. She was surprised that he’d kept his hands at his side for this long.

  His hand tugged her hair until she was forced to look up at him. “Stop teasing. Put your mouth on my cock.”

  “Seriously, you need to learn patience.” She drew her hands up the outsides of his thighs.

  “Patience is for when I’m teasing you, baby.” His fingers stroked over her head and he grinned down at her.

  She shook her head at him, but did let him urge her mouth closer to his hardened shaft. She trailed her hand up his thigh and closed her fingers around the thick length. Stroking her hand up and down the heated velvet skin, she placed a kiss on his thigh just to frustrate him a bit more before she gave him what he wanted.

  He growled and the low rumble vibrated through her body, finding all her sensitive spots. She shivered. Who knew that playing with him would turn her on so much? She drew her mouth along his hip before reluctantly lifting it from his skin. She allowed her eyes to linger on the darkened head a moment. Her tongue slicked over her lips. She couldn’t wait to taste him. Leaning closer, she lapped at the head and the pearly bead of precum seeping from the slit. His slighty salty taste lured her back for more.

  She opened her mouth to take his shaft inside. From the slight pressure on the back of her head, she knew there was nothing he wanted more. Swirling her tongue around the head, she teased him, focusing only on that for a long moment. His fingers tightened and she heard a slight warning rumble again. The wolf was definitely impatient. A smile tilted her lips, but her body reacted to it with a rush of warmth. She loved that reaction.

  His hips rocked a little, nudging his cock deeper in silent demand. She didn’t deny either of them any longer. She wanted this. Her lips firmed around his shaft as she drew him deeper. She was by no means an expert at this, but his groans and growls thrilled her.

  Each time she drew back, she stroked her hand up the length of his cock to add another layer to the sensation. When she teased him with a hint of teeth, his hips jerked forward. He cursed and his hand dropped away from her hair. His voice was hoarse as he bit out a curse. Hauling her to her feet, he lifted her onto the table.

  She gasped in surprised as her butt met the smooth tablecloth. Before she could do more than that, he pulled her thighs wide. Parting her folds, he lowered his mouth to her pussy. Her hands tangled in his hair. Damn, she loved him wild.

  His tongue stroked from her entrance to her clit. Her thighs tightened and she arched into his mouth. His hands tightened on her hips. He tormented that taut bundle of nerves. He seemed determined to consume her cunt. Sparks of sensation slashed through her with every lash of his tongue.

  One hand slipped between her thighs. He drew his fingertip around her slick pussy before pushing his fingers deep. She felt the pressure inside her building and writhing with each thrust. Her nails dug into his scalp as she tried to pull him closer. Drawing in panting gasps, she tried to find the words. She was going to come and she didn’t want to find pleasure alone.

  “Gavin,” she breathed his name and drew in a desperate breath, trying to hold back the coming orgasm. “Now.”

  His head lifted, but his fingers kept moving inside her. Her inner muscles tightened on his fingers, pushing her closer to the edge. She shivered with need. Shaking her head, she tried to pull him to her. She saw him smile and lick his lips.

  “You want me as much as I want you now.” His hand slowly withdrew from her tight sheath. “You always make me burn for you.”

  Grasping her hips, he
stepped forward until his cock brushed against her pussy. He growled low and tensed. She thought she heard him curse. He drew back and knelt on the floor. At first, she didn’t realize why, but then she saw him pull a foil wrapper from a pocket. He ripped it open, sheathed his cock and then was back between her thighs.

  She hooked her legs around him. His cock brushed against her folds once before he fitted himself to her pussy and thrust deep. She gasped as he filled her. Her internal muscles clamping down on him sent a burst of fire straight to her core. She cried out and her hips rose against his in silent demand for more. He gave her everything she wanted.

  His hips drove into her cunt faster and harder. She ran her hands over any part of him she could reach, but she ached to feel more of him. He leaned down and his mouth closed over one hardened nipple. She bucked up against him. Her orgasm washed over her in a giant wave. She heard a hoarse yell, but didn’t realize he’d come until a little of the euphoria faded. Her hands stroked over his back as she held him tight. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that much in her life.

  “I’m glad the table held,” she whispered the words against his skin as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

  “There was a point where I don’t think either of us would have cared if it had crashed to the ground.” Gavin lifted his head and smiled.

  “I wasn’t thinking about that. I just didn’t want to try to explain how the table got broken or why it needed to be replaced.” She drew her hand over his cheek.

  Gavin laughed. “Evan would understand. He’d make us pay for it, but he’d understand.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Diana sighed and smoothed a hand over her black skirt. It had been a long day and she impatiently waited as the men organized their exit from the building. She wanted to go home. Well, to the house they were using while this damn protective detail continued. A drumbeat pounded steadily behind her forehead and eyes and her temper was stretched to the breaking point. Hell, the day hadn’t been all that long. She liked working alongside Gavin and his friends.

  No, another bank robbery had reminded her that danger waited beyond the fanatics hunting Gavin. One of the robberies had degenerated into a hostage situation She’d been sent some of the overflow from the video to analyze and make certain nothing was missed. Every frame stretched her nerves taut and those criminals seemed ready to escalate the violence. They still didn’t have enough proof for the Protectorate to get fully involved. Nothing she’d found so far had helped in that.

  She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten about it. Even more so now that she’d seen a little of what had been happening at the bank. The situation was going to explode. All thoughts of a peaceful resolution had faded once she’d seen even a little of what those men had done. Her heart ached and she felt a little sick, because that robbery was going to end badly no matter what the police did to stop it, especially since the criminals probably weren’t human.

  As she watched the video, she’d prayed for some kind of slip, a partial change, even a change of eye color. She’d checked every person over and over again. These people had control. She couldn’t find any hard evidence. That had led to one of the most frustrating, eye-straining days in recent memory. The delay and tedium of having to go stand, waiting for others to visually check the streets and buildings around them, seemed more tiresome today than it had previously.

  She ran a hand over the back of her neck as she leaned against the wall. Her purse hung on her shoulder and everything was ready for a quick exit whenever they received the signal. Gavin stood beside her and she could almost feel his eyes on her. He’d look concerned the last time she’d glanced at him.

  “I can smell your pain, Diana. What’s wrong?” His voice was soft and the hand he put on her shoulder, gentle.

  “It’s just a headache. I popped a couple of pain pills when I went to the bathroom, so it should go away soon.” She tried to smile at him. He could smell pain? That was going to take some adjustment. “I hate when I can’t find something when it’s needed as badly as this is.”

  “Did you want me to take care of dinner tonight?” He frowned and watched her carefully as if trying to judge how intense the pain actually was.

  “No, I’ll do it and you can relax. The headache will be gone by the time we get home. Don’t worry so much.” She reached over and took his hand, squeezing it to try to reassure him.

  They managed to get into the van and to the safe house without incident. That minor success gave her a little hope, but she knew that Gavin’s attackers probably had their location and even the specific house. They wouldn’t need to attack him on the street in front of witnesses. They could come after him while he was relaxed and supposedly safe.

  She’d been right about the headache. It was gone by the time that the van rolled to a stop in front of the house. Diana made her favorite Southwestern chicken bake. They cleaned the dishes together and relaxed a little with some cuddling and television. Before they both became too involved, Gavin went off to take a shower.

  Diana wanted to take a long bath to ease away the last of the night’s tension. Unfortunately, the bath in this house hadn’t been built with romance in mind. It was small and not suited to sharing. She picked up her purse off the end table and turned to carry it into the bedroom. She’d felt a little paranoid keeping it and the gun concealed inside it close at times, but she consoled herself with the thought that she’d have it if needed.

  She heard a slight scratching from the door. Moving to get a better look, the knob turned ever so slightly. She gasped and her heart kicked into a sprint. None of the men watching them would try to open the door without knocking. Her thoughts spun and her eyes darted from place to place.

  She didn’t know what to do. If she screamed Gavin’s name, he’d run straight into the line of fire. She needed to let him and the people watching them know there was danger, hopefully before whoever was out there tried to kill him.

  Her mind flew to the kitchen. There was an alarm panel there. She could deliberately set it off and shelter in the doorway while also having a good view of the entry and anyone who came into the house. She ran, unzipping her purse as she went.

  She keyed in the wrong code, knowing that it would set off the alarm, hopefully bringing help. A red light on the panel started flashing, but she ignored it, knowing that it would go off after a short delay. She pulled the gun out of her purse and tossed the bag onto the table.

  She hid in the doorway, using the wooden frame to partially shield her. Her senses heightened and her attention locked on the entryway and the person trying to get into the house. Her panting breaths sounded harsh and loud and blood thrummed in her ears with each beat of her heart.

  The door clicked as it was tried again. Less than a breath later, the alarm shrilled. She jumped, her muscles tensing even though she knew the sound was coming. The door hit the wall as it burst open. A woman rushed into the room with a gun raised. Diana hesitated, unable to make herself pull the trigger. She’d fired at targets, but never at another human being.

  In a moment that stopped her heart, a dark blur darted into the living room. The blonde swung the gun toward the wolf. Diana stepped out of the doorway and fired twice. The projectiles ripped through the woman’s chest. Even as she fell, the wolf ran past the woman and leapt. Diana saw the man who’d been behind the woman a second before Gavin hit him in his wolf form.

  Sharp teeth sank into the man’s arm. A gun clattered as it fell onto the wooden floor. A low, threatening growl rolled from Gavin’s throat even as he continued to bite and shake the attacker. When the man’s fist smashed into the wolf’s side, Gavin released the man’s arm. Before the attacker could scramble for his gun, Gavin pounced. His teeth sank into the man’s shoulder, very close to the neck.

  “Whoa, Gavin, we’ve got him now. You can let go.” Max walked slowly into the house. He had a gun trained on the man on the floor. “Sorry about not spotting them before they got inside. We caught sight of someone near the
trees. It looked like they were setting up to snipe you as you left.”

  The wolf Gavin backed away from the man and then transformed. It wasn’t gross. The change was fluid and almost instantaneous. It fascinated her. She vaguely noticed one of the men behind Max deactivating the alarm. She spared a look at the unmoving female on the floor. Even from here, she could see that the woman was dead.

  Gavin turned and walked over to her. His arms fastened around her, drawing her into a tight hug. She hugged him back, needing to feel his warmth and strength. Her hesitation had almost cost him his life. She’d see that in her nightmares for months. Now though, she closed her eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart.

  “You catch him?” Gavin dropped a kiss on her head before turning her in his arms and pulling her back against him.

  She opened her eyes to find Max searching the man as another person in Protectorate uniform went through the woman’s pockets. Everything was done so calmly. It didn’t seem real. They spoke in soft murmurs to each other. The blood and death didn’t seem to bother them. Her mind reeled with the horrifying possibilities that could have happened tonight.

  “I haven’t heard anything about that. Most of us rushed back here since we suspected we’d been intentionally drawn away. We were close when the alarm started blaring. Really glad you two took care of it, but um, why attack in wolf form?” Max grinned.

  “I was in the shower. There wasn’t time to get dressed and my gun was out here. I was going to clean it and didn’t want the scent of gun oil heavy in the bedroom. At least as a wolf I had some weapons of my own to take care of it.” Gavin’s voice sounded cheerful and when she glanced at him, she saw a grin flash across his face. It was fleeting, though, and his muscles felt hard and tight against her as he held her.

  “Good shot, by the way.” Max nodded to the woman on the floor.