The surge of lust that hit him affected the steadiness of the first step he took. Then it perversely strengthened his stride. His purpose and focus narrowed to his body’s need for the woman on the other side of the door. It was a base and elemental craving, purely physical, but a part of him was distantly aware that it was her bold yet easygoing personality that had tipped the scales enough to tempt him to this madness. She was all wrong for him. So wrong. But he knew when he pushed inside her it was going to feel so damn right.
He pulled the door open. His breath hissed on a sharp inhale at the sight of Kim on his doorstep, dressed in a fitted white tank top and worn jeans that hugged her like a lover. She’d let her hair down, freeing the riotous mass of inky curls to tumble around her slender shoulders and halfway down her back. Her feet were bared by jeweled sandals, revealing toenails that were painted black and big toes decorated with white flowers and swirls. Gold hoops hung from her ears, replacing the diamond studs she’d worn before. He was flattered she’d given thought to how she looked for him.
Presently, however, she seemed focused on looking at him.
“Wow,” she breathed. “Part of my mind is saying I should be freaking out that you’re answering the door naked. Another part is thinking: Holy shit, did I get lucky or what? Don’t turn out to be crazy, please. I really need this right now.”
The raging need inside him quieted. The soft plea in Kim’s voice and the momentary shadow of pain in her beautiful eyes altered the dynamic of his approach. He caught her gently by the elbow and tugged her in. When she cleared the door, he released it to shut by itself and he lowered his mouth to hers.
Swallowing her gasp, Raze slipped his arms around her, stroking his hands up her spine and molding her slender body to his. Her duffle bag hit the floor and her hands came up, one holding the back of his head while the other cupped his cheek.
The tender, encompassing nature of the embrace startled him even as it soothed the ragged edges of his volatile mood. He lifted her feet from the floor, tilting his head to get a deeper seal. His tongue stroked into her mouth, finding the taste of cinnamon and her own natural sweetness. He groaned, ravenous for her, but unwilling to devour. He’d thought he needed hard and fast. She’d thought she needed that, too. They’d both been wrong.
She caught his lower lip between her teeth and tugged, her lips soft and wet, her tongue a velvet lash. He wanted those lips and tongue all over his body. Her hands, too. They were strong and sure, confident. Her moan vibrated against him, luring his fangs to descend.
Not ready for that, Raze set her down reluctantly, his gaze locked with hers. She was flushed and beautiful, her eyes clear and open, yet tinged with sadness. As he watched, tears welled and slipped off her bottom lashes.
“Oh, shit,” she whispered, releasing him to swipe at her cheeks. “I asked you not to be crazy and then I get weepy over a kiss. I swear I’m not mental.”
“It’s okay.”
“You like picking up teary, emotional women?”
“You picked me up,” he corrected with a smile. “And there’s usually only one reason a woman like you picks up a guy like me. I’m not sorry to find out differently.”
“You thought I objectified you.” She ran a sheepish hand through her black-as-midnight hair. “I can’t say you’re entirely wrong about that.”
“I thought that’s what I wanted.” Impersonal, with expectations that were easy to meet. But it turned out she was right-what he’d needed was her. Giving her the oblivion she wanted was going to keep him busy in ways a quick and dirty fuck would never have done. There was a connection between them, and he realized he needed that far more than he needed an orgasm.
Obviously, Baron’s taunts had dug deeper than Raze had given the man credit for. Women didn’t connect with him beyond the physical, he didn’t give them enough of himself to get that close. It wasn’t deliberate on his part; he just didn’t work that way. He’d dealt with infatuation and even sexual obsession that women mistook as love, but it was always fleeting. Quickly come and gone. But Kim… she needed what he was capable of giving. It moved him that for once he could fill a need that was more than skin deep.
Her hand on his face slid upward, her fingers tracing the arch of his brow. “I’m glad I found you.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead, wondering what she saw in him that put warmth in her eyes. “Let me put your bag in the bedroom. There’s some wine on the table. Are you hungry? Want some room service?”
“You don’t have to wine and dine me.” She smiled. “I’m a sure thing.”
Stepping back, he picked up her duffle. “I’m still going to seduce you.”
“I won’t complain. I’m just letting you off the hook.”
With a sweep of his hand, he gestured her deeper into the room and headed into the bedroom. He was about to pull on a pair of sweats when he glanced into the living area and saw Kim undressing. He moved to the threshold, fascinated by the confident, efficient way she took her clothes off. It was no striptease she was doing, no narcissistic display of her assets.
Raze leaned into the doorframe and crossed his arms. “I was going to put some pants on.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Why? I think we’ve both seen each other at our most naked just a minute ago.”
“Okay, then.” Her open honesty was as arousing as her body. “Come here.”
She approached him in the same no-nonsense way she’d undressed, bringing the box of condoms with her. He took her in, admiring the sleek lines of her lithe body and the unaffected sway of her trim hips. The contrast between her dark hair and pale skin was a stunning one, framing a figure that had seemed modest while clothed but was perfectly, lushly proportional in the flesh.
“Why am I not nervous?” she asked when she came to a halt in front of him. “What is it about you that makes me so comfortable? I’ve never even walked around my own house naked.”
Raze tilted his head to the side, contemplating that. Most mortals who met him sensed the predator he was. It kept them on edge, which is what so many of his lovers found attractive about him-the hint of danger he exuded by his nature. He was a hunter, they were his prey, and they felt it on a subconscious level. That he put Kim at ease in a way she was with no one else, not even herself, was inexplicable. “I don’t know. But I like it.”
Her mouth curved. “Me, too.”
Uncrossing his arms, he reached out to her, lifting a glossy curl and rubbing it between thumb and forefinger. “You’re very beautiful, Kim. You’re not the only one who got lucky tonight.”
“Thank you.”
His fingertips skimmed gently down her arm until they reached her hand. He linked their fingers together and backed into the bedroom, pulling her with him. As aroused as he was by her slender body, he was also conscious of the unexpected intimacy of them being so comfortable together. Almost as if there was a longstanding familiarity between them. An affinity so rare he’d never found previously in his endless life.
When he reached the bed, he sat and tugged her between his legs, then he fell backward onto the mattress, taking her with him. As her body flowed over him, then melted into him, Raze closed his eyes and sighed, releasing the abnormal agitation that had been riding him hard. Her hair slid over his skin and her mouth brushed over his parted lips. His entire body was hyperaware of her, every nerve ending tingling in anticipation of her touch.
I was wrong , he thought. Not hard and fast. Not with her. Slow and deep. Decadent. He could give her that after all.
Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled her beneath him and gave her what they both needed.