“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To the bathroom, to get dressed.”
“Shit, I’ve upset you.”
Michaela held her clothes in front of her like a shield. She gave her foot a kick, but Kye didn’t release her. “You think?” she asked sarcastically.
His hand slipped off her ankle and he jumped to his feet so fast she hardly saw him move. Kye cupped her face in his hands and forced her to meet his gaze. “My not wanting to sleep with you right now is not some lame excuse of me changing my mind about how I feel. The problem is I want you too much. I’m not going to rush things, because I want more than a night of sex. Do you understand?”
She stared into his brown eyes and saw longing in their depths—that, and something else. Not just hunger, though that was there as well, but something that made her want to believe what he said.
Michaela swallowed. “What do you mean by more?” she asked in a small voice.
“I mean you’re the woman I’ve waited all of my life for, and I don’t think I can ever let you go.”
She pushed Kye’s hands off her face and took a step back. “Now I know you’re just shooting me a line of crap. We hardly know each other. You can’t possibly think I mean that much to you in such a short amount of time. We just met today.”
Kye ran a hand over his face, his frustration easy to read in the stiff way he held his body. “This is not supposed to be happening like this. Damn it.”
“What isn’t? You’re not getting your jollies from leading me on?”
Michaela found herself trapped against Kye’s hard body, one of his arms wrapped around her waist like a steel band. A large hand sank into her hair, holding her prisoner as he plundered her mouth with his. This kiss wasn’t anything like the others they’d shared. It was more carnal and demanding, his desperation evident in every stroke of his tongue against hers. If Kye hadn’t held her up, she would’ve dropped to the floor at his feet, her legs no longer able to hold herself upright. He didn’t allow her a breath of air until he had her moaning with need once more and pressing as close to him as she could get.
They were both breathing heavy. Michaela thought she saw that strange glow in his eyes again, but it disappeared before it could fully register.
“Now,” he said huskily, “did that feel like a kiss a man would give you if he only wanted to lead you on?”
“N-No,” she croaked.
“Because it wasn’t. I’m going to do this right, which means we’ll wait until we know each other better. You have no idea how hard this is going to be for me. I’ve never wanted another woman like I want you, Michaela. Your looks, gorgeous body and scent just make me want you more.” He took a deep breath. “Go get dressed, then we’ll sit and watch the rest of the movie. Once it’s over, I’ll leave. I don’t want to. I’d rather stay the night just to have you sleep in my arms, but I can’t trust myself not to do more than that.”
Feeling as if she’d just been swept off her feet, Michaela could only nod. Once Kye let her go, she stumbled to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She held out her hand and found it shaking, not from fear, but from the strong emotions that surged through her. If she hadn’t hoped for this date to be more than one night with Kye before, she sure as hell did now. The man made her feel wanted, needed and protected all in one. None of the other guys she’d dated had managed that feat. In this day and age, some women wouldn’t be thrilled with Kye’s alpha male tactics, but she found them downright sexy. She also hadn’t felt as feminine as she did right now.
Michaela used the toilet, splashed some cool water on her heated cheeks and dressed. Kye had better have told her the truth about everything he’d said, because she wasn’t going to let him just walk out of her life without a fight.
Chapter Four
Kye sat on the couch next to Michaela, trying to appear as if nothing were wrong, but inside him, he fought to keep a tight rein over his mating urge. As he’d predicted, letting her give him a blowjob had made it worse, rather than giving him a bit of respite.
He focused his gaze on the TV. It wasn’t doing much to distract him. Michaela’s scent filled his nose with each breath he took, and her sitting beside him with her back resting against his chest while he had his arm around her, the feel of her body kept his cock hard and aching. He didn’t think the damn thing would ever go down. The taste of her was still in his mouth.
Making her come, hearing the sound of her pleasured cries echoing in his ears, had had both him and his wolf wanting to pounce and claim her as theirs. It had been the hardest thing he’d ever done to stop Michaela when she’d tried to tug his jeans the rest of the way off so they could finish what they had started. What he found in his would-be mate’s arms was beyond better than any other sexual encounter he’d had.
Then he’d gone and almost messed up everything with his comment about her being the only one for him. Of course she’d at first thought he’d fed her a line of bullshit. Not being a werewolf, she hadn’t a clue his mating urge wouldn’t have kicked in if she hadn’t been the right woman for him. From his perspective, there was no question about it, she was his. And there was no question he’d soon fall head over heels for her, and that no other would ever take her place in his heart. Once again, if there were no chance of that, the mating urge would’ve stayed dormant inside him.
At least, he’d been able to convince Michaela he had been dead serious. He’d poured all of the pounding need that rode him into the kiss, not holding anything back. Kye had risked the control over himself, but it had worked in the end. Now he had the job of getting her more comfortable with him before he revealed what he truly was. And since time would be ticking down to the point where he would no longer be able to keep from claiming her, he had to work quickly. The longer he ignored the mating urge the worse it would ride his ass until he would act on blind instinct alone. Michaela snuggled closer and Kye bit back a groan. The next few days weren’t going to be a cake walk.
She turned her head and looked at him. “Are you comfortable with me sitting like this?”
“Of course. Why would you think I wasn’t?”
Michaela looked pointedly down at his crotch where there was no mistaking the large bulge there. “Well, for one thing, that hasn’t settled down the whole time we’ve sat here. I know you want to wait, but I don’t want you to feel tortured with me so close to you.”
“Ignore it. I’ll be fine.” Even if he hadn’t had the mating urge riding his ass, his cock would’ve remained hard after their bout of heavy petting and oral sex. Being a male werewolf had its perks—one being able to keep an erection for hours at a time, even after coming more than once.
“Really, because that looks as if could be painful after a while. Maybe I could help you with it the same way I did before.”
He groaned, loudly. “Believe me that would just make it worse. And you suggesting it isn’t exactly making this any easier.”
“Well, the offer remains open.”
“Sure, torture me some more why don’t you,” he said with a chuckle.
“So when will I see you again?”
“Will tomorrow be good?”
“I have to work, but after that I’m free.”
“How about Nevaeh and I come and visit you there during the day, then around the same time as when I arrived tonight, I’ll take you out to eat.”
Michaela smiled. “Sure. Does this mean you’re going to bring the baby to the zoo every day that I’m working?”
“Why not? It’s a public place. Besides, I didn’t get to see all the animals yet.” Kye kissed her forehead, then decided to test the waters a bit. “Too bad the zoo doesn’t have any wolves. I have an affinity for them.”