Close Contact Read online

  Geneva sighed. That was an idea she needed to keep out of his head. Just being here was more than she wanted to think about right now. She got to her feet. Walking around the gleaming coffee table, she slipped her hand into his.

  He pulled her across his lap. Nuzzling her shoulder-length hair away from her neck, his tongue lapped at the base of her collarbone. He inhaled deeply. She frowned. Every time he took her in his arms, he did that. She didn’t understand why and asking would probably result in another pointless, frustrating exchange. Almost all his answers regarding why he did something involved “because I’m your mate”. It made her want to scream.

  His warm hand slipped between the buttons of her red shirt, brushing over the skin just below the bottom edge of her bra. Tingles skittered through her as his fingers traced the edge of the undergarment. She felt her breasts swelling against the fabric and her nipples tightened into hard points.

  “I can smell your desire.” He brushed his lips against hers. “I want to taste it, to feel your juices surround my cock as I thrust into you.”

  She drew in a sharp breath. Oh, how she wanted that, but it would complicate things. Somehow, she had to stop him before it became that intimate between them. Even on her side, that wasn’t going to be easy. She ached to touch him. She felt slick liquid flow from her pussy dampening her panties.

  While the hand under her shirt moved to cup her breast, his other hand worked at the buttons on her shirt. She grabbed his hand. Sitting half-naked in front of him wasn’t a good idea. She wondered why her body was reacting so intensely to his. His thumb brushed across the hardened peak. She drew in a sharp breath and froze. By the time her mind cleared, he’d flicked open the last button. Cool air hit her skin. Her nipples tightened from anticipation and the temperature. Sharp sensation arrowed straight to the tightening ball of need in her core.

  All thoughts of why this was a bad idea began slowly fading from her mind. She ached to feel his hand on her bare skin. It felt so good through the cloth.

  “We should stop.” She forced the words from her mouth even when her body hummed with desire.

  “Is that what you want? I want to kiss you,” he whispered.

  His lips brushed across hers softly. She moved restlessly against him. Her hands rose to his shoulder as she leaned into him. She felt the tips of his fingers against her back and then the release of her bra. He tugged one of her arms off his shoulder and slipped the lace garment free of her body.

  “These are beautiful.” His hands cupped her full breasts, lifting them.

  She looked down. The contrast of his dark skin against the light cream skin of her breasts looked so exciting. She swallowed and arched her back, pressing her breasts into his hands. His thumb brushed across one tight bead.

  “Such hard nipples. Would you like me to take one of them in my mouth?” He nipped at her shoulder.

  She nodded. Her hands gripped his muscular shoulders. Her breasts ached and she barely resisted the urge to push his head down to the reddened tips. His hand lifted the right mound, just as he placed kisses over her chest. Hot breath fanned over the hardened peak. The nipple tightened even more sending a sharp spike straight down her spine. Her nails sank into his shoulders. She tugged, trying to get him to quit teasing. He laughed and his lips closed over the hard crest. She gasped as he sucked on it.

  His hand slid down gathering her black and gold skirt. He drew the fabric up her legs. The light skirt felt deliciously abrasive to her sensitive skin. Her hands stroked over his back, hoping he’d do something more. His fingers brushed over her thigh. She spread her legs, wanting his touch. He cupped her pussy. Only the thin silk of her sheer gold panties separated his hand from her trimmed bush and it was making her wild. She was a breath away from pressing her palm over his and riding his fingers.

  The doorbell rang. Evan stiffened, but kept worrying her nipple with his teeth. The bell chimed again.

  “Fuck!” Evan slowly stood, still holding her. “Come on. We need to see who this is and then we’ll get back to what’s really important.”

  Geneva drew in a shaky breath as he put her on her feet. That doorbell couldn’t have rung at a better time. She’d wanted him. Her body still sizzled and they’d done little more than kiss. Okay, so he’d had his mouth on her breasts, but her body shouldn’t have gone so crazy. How powerful would the feelings be when they did more than kiss? She didn’t try to fool herself. The attraction between them was too strong to ignore for long. Since the spell wasn’t coming off immediately, they probably would have sex. It was going to make things even harder. He already thought he had a claim on her. She walked beside him to the door and tried to shake off the hold of desire. Just his scent sparked an instantaneous reaction. Warm liquid pooled and desire stirred.

  He checked the view screen. Genny saw a woman, but he shut it off before she could get a better look. Groaning, his head rested against the wood for a moment.

  “Button up your shirt, Genny. Unfortunately, I can’t send this person on her way. She’d come back in five minutes just to annoy me,” he said, but there was a note of affection in his voice.

  Geneva buttoned her shirt and stood just behind Evan as he opened the door. A young woman stood on the front step. Wearing jeans and a purple button-down shirt, she somehow appeared elegant. She had cocoa-brown skin and gleaming black hair. The tall, slim woman was very pretty. Anger and jealousy stirred inside her. Just who was this woman and what was she to Evan? Shaking her head, she tried to shrug away the thoughts. They didn’t make sense. She’d just recently met the man, but she couldn’t stop the irrational surge of jealousy.

  The woman stepped forward and hugged Evan before walking into the house. “I heard about your little visit to the Protectorate. You know we’re trying to revise our image from an animal ruled by wild emotions to a thinking being.”

  A growl rumbled from Evan’s chest and his cheeks darkened. “Geneva, this is my sister, Anne. She’s probably the only person in the city who’d tease me like that.”

  “Hi Geneva, I just had to come see the woman who’d managed to break through my brother’s control. As alpha, he gets his way too often and he’s never gone wild man before.” Anne stepped forward and hugged Geneva. “It’s nice to see something finally have an effect on him.”

  “Genny hasn’t accepted the truth yet.” Evan closed the door and turned to curl an arm around Geneva’s shoulders. “Did you hear about the spell on her?”

  “No, just about how you carried her out of the Protectorate over your shoulder. So something’s wrong and that’s why you reacted so strongly. What kind of spell? How bad is it?” Anne frowned before turning to lead the way into the living room.

  Evan sighed and cast a frustrated look at his sister. “Come on. She won’t go away until we answer her questions. She’s annoyingly persistent.”

  “I think she has something in common with you.” Genny glared at him. Persistence was probably coded into their genetics alongside the arrogance and great looks.

  He drew Geneva into the living room. Going over to the chair, he sat. Even though Geneva stiffened and pulled away, he tugged her into his lap. His arms wrapped loosely around her waist. She sat forward, touching him as little as possible. He didn’t try to get her to relax against him. She’d have probably hit him if he’d insisted on it.

  “Genny apparently ticked someone off. The spell causes her pain if she gets farther than eight feet or so from her mate, me. The spell hasn’t even reached full strength yet,” Evan informed his sister.

  Geneva saw all the layers of civility fall away from the other woman. Anne suddenly looked deadly serious.

  “What’s the timeline?” Anne sat forward, her brown eyes were narrowed.

  “Halloween, at the latest, if the effects of the spell don’t get too bad before then. They want to find the witch or wizard responsible. As long as Genny isn’t in pain, I’ll let them look. The moment that changes, I’ll call you and we’ll take the spell off her.” Eva
n’s voice hardened.

  Geneva looked up at him frustrated. “Need I remind you it has already hurt me? I wasn’t exactly having fun when it hit me.”

  “As long as you’re near me, you won’t hurt. Since I intend to be in the same room as you until the spell is taken off you that won’t happen again.” He raised an arrogant eyebrow as if daring her to argue.

  “And my alternate suggestion of an induced coma would have almost guaranteed no pain as well, but you wouldn’t talk about that.” Geneva rolled her eyes. Sonya’s office had seemed tiny and he’d appeared to grow larger when she’d first suggested it.

  “That’s because he’s your mate and needs to be with you.” Anne laughed. “Anything that separates the two of you is an obstacle that will be removed. Very elemental, but it’s not something he’d negotiate.”

  “I’m not a werewolf. I may be a latent witch, but that doesn’t mean anything. I don’t have a mate.” She pushed her finger against Evan’s arm emphasizing each word, meeting his eyes.

  Evan’s expression turned fierce, his arms tightened, pulling her back against his chest. He growled.

  “Witches have mates. It’s a well-known fact. You don’t have to use your magic to have a mate.” Anne’s calm voice carried over Evan’s low growl.

  Geneva shook her head. Hell, she hadn’t known about her latent magic until she’d started working with the Protectorate. She’d been adopted by a human family and led a very normal life until she was eighteen. Her understanding of witches and their culture had been limited at first, but she was a witch even if she didn’t know how to use her power. Witches and wizards talked with her more readily than they did to someone who didn’t have magic.

  His breath fanned over her ear. “I’ll make sure you know without a doubt I’m your mate.”

  She gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to shout a denial. Relaxing against his chest, she decided to let him calm down before she took up the argument again. She wouldn’t get anywhere with it when he was in this mood.

  Anne stood. “I’ll leave you with your mate. If you need any help, call me. You have some work ahead of you even convincing her of your claim. Acceptance is a long way off.”

  “I’ve got time.” Evan hugged Geneva tight to him.

  He sounded so smug she wanted to drive her elbow right into his ribs, but thought that might be a bit much right now. She turned in his arms to glare at him. His chuckle tested her restraint. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was doing it on purpose.

  He stood, holding her close for a long moment before he put her on her feet. With an arm curled securely around Geneva’s waist, he walked Anne to the door. Anne hugged Geneva again and then left. Evan locked the door and turned to face Geneva. A wide smile curved his lips and golden lights sparkled in his eyes. He stepped forward. She backed away from him, keeping her eyes locked on the predator in front of her. Her foot slowly slid back. He leapt across the small distance between them and pressed her against the wall.

  Chapter Three

  She drew in a sharp breath, a little shocked, but felt no real fear. She didn’t know why. The situation certainly warranted it. She knew very little about him, he claimed to be her mate and she had a spell on her. His lips slanted across her open mouth. The second his lips touched hers, desire roared through her body as if they’d never been interrupted. Reason and caution slid out of her mind. She relaxed against him.

  “I’ll play with you when we get this spell off you, Genny. Any game you want.” He nipped her lips before licking at them and kissing her again.

  Without thought, she began to respond to the delicious feel of his lips. Her fingers slid across his shirt. She wanted it off him. Slick moisture seeped from her pussy. She pressed closer. Her hands eased under his shirt. She’d thought that it would feel nubby, but it was soft and felt like t-shirt material. The warmth of his skin drew her. Her hands slid across his back and over his ribs. His shirt quickly got in her way. She pushed it up, the fabric bunching under his arms. He drew back just enough to pull the shirt off. Her fingers skimmed over his chest. The expanse of dark flesh tempted her. She wanted to touch and kiss him everywhere. Pressing her lips to his shoulder, she let her hands trail downward. Her fingers traced over the muscles of his abdomen.

  She felt his fingers brush against her back. Her bra loosened and the straps fell down her arms. She tried to scrape her fingernails across his nipple, but the tug of her bra on her arms distracted her. The drooping garment restricted her movement and the confinement soon irritated her. She lowered her arms and the shirt and silky bra fell to the floor.

  Lifting her hands to his shoulders, she kissed him. A low groan rolled through his chest. His hips rocked into hers, pressing her against the wall. She moaned and her fingers clenched on his shoulders. Heat tightened low in her stomach. Shifting her feet wider, she held onto his shoulder and lifted into the slow grinding pressure.

  His chest brushed against hers. Her sensitive nipples stung and ached. She wanted more than the friction of their bodies. She needed to feel his hands and lips on the tight aching flesh.

  His fingers trailed across her stomach. Her skirt loosened and he tugged her away from the wall. The fabric fell around her feet. Her skin tingled and the air seemed cool on her skin.

  Geneva moaned and pulled at him. She felt his hard hands moving between them, but he wasn’t touching her. She leaned toward him and dropped a kiss on his shoulder. She felt skin, the brush of his cock against her belly. Nuzzling his neck, she licked and kissed her way up his throat. She nipped his neck just above his collarbone.

  Her only warning was a low growl as he pinned her to the wall. His hips thrust against hers. “Genny, you test my control.”

  She gloried in that rough sound. She wanted his control gone. Hers had certainly vanished. She wanted him to be as desperate as she was. Each touch only added to the hot sensation burning inside her. She needed him inside her, moving against her.

  “Evan, I need you inside me,” she whispered. Lifting her leg, she hooked it around his, trying to get closer to him.

  His fingers slid to her panties, pushing them down, but they snagged in the bunched fabric. It ripped and the silk fell to the floor. His fingertips slid down over her clit and to her opening. They circled the sensitive edge before pushing into her. She lifted into those tormenting touch.

  “You’re wet. Your muscles are tightening and pulling at my fingers as if to take them even deeper.” He nipped her lips as his fingers moved in and out of her clenching passage.

  She moaned, trembling, clinging to him. He kissed her as his thumb flicked across her clit. Sensation built.

  “Don’t torment me, Evan.” She curled her hand around the back of his neck.

  His hand withdrew. She felt the head of his cock brush against her pussy. His hands cupped her buttocks, lifting her. Cursing, he put her down and knelt, digging through his pockets. He pulled out a condom and ripped it open. He rolled the latex onto his erect shaft. He lifted her again. Her legs wrapped around his waist, unwilling to let him put distance between them again. His cock slipped between the plump wet folds, bumped against her clit. The rounded head nudged her entrance. With a thrust of his hips, his shaft drove deep into her.

  Geneva sighed and her fingers curled, nails sinking into his shoulders as he filled her. It felt so good, so right. Her hips tilted, taking him a little deeper. He pressed against her from shoulder to pelvis. His hot breath fanned over her lips as he drew in huge gulps of air, not moving. She needed him to move.

  “Fuck me.” She tried to move against him, but he held her still.

  “My woman, mate.” His words rumbled across her lips as his shaft withdrew and then pushed back into her.

  At that moment, she didn’t care what he said as long as he kept moving. She nipped at his lips. He growled and his mouth slanted over hers in a feral claiming. She felt his lengthened fangs scrape her tongue. Her inner muscles clenched around his shaft as pleasure built to an alm
ost unbearable peak.

  “Come for me, Genny.” His hips ground against her in a sharp circular motion. He lifted just enough to slip his hand between them to pluck one of her hard nipples.

  Fire streaked through her. She whimpered and her body trembled as wave after wave of sensation hit her. Breathing hard as the orgasm ripped through her, she felt him tense and groan. His body jerked against hers and he stilled.

  Her hands stroked over his back. Long languid strokes. She savored the feelings rippling through her. Her mind slowly began to think beyond the pleasure. The intensity that he drew with just a simple touch made her nervous. Now she was really scared. That orgasm had hit like a bolt of lightning, slamming into her and raging over her. She wouldn’t have been surprised if her body had been smoking from the heat.

  His lips brushed against her cheeks. “My mate.”

  She tensed and closed her eyes. Denial automatically rose to her lips. With effort, she held back. She knew denying him wouldn’t be the wisest thing at the moment. Hell, she couldn’t even leave him. Realization hit her. Fucking hell! She inwardly raged at her own stupidity. He’d been claiming her. That was the reason behind his intensity. All that was missing was the bite.

  His head lifted and a gentle smile crossed his face as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her cheek. “Let’s go to bed. There’s so much I want to do with you.”

  Evan smelled the increase of her arousal. He wished he could feel her juices on his cock instead of the tight grip of latex. His fingers flexed on her buttocks. He loved the feel of her soft curves in his hands, moving against him.

  He carried her up the stairs toward the bedroom. He could tell by the growing stiffness of her body that she’d regained a little of her caution. That was all right. He didn’t expect her to accept everything immediately. She’d have to see that the mating was fact on her own.