She groaned as the taste of crawfish and exotic spices hit her tongue. “Oh, god.” She hurriedly scooped more of the gumbo into her mouth. “It’s heaven.”
Talon remained silent as she worked her way through her meal, his hand continuing its soothing path up and down her back and his gaze locked on her face. Isi did her best to ignore him. Well, as much as any female could ignore a six foot two puma shifter with the face of a fallen angel and a blatant sensuality that rubbed against her skin like plush velvet.
Eating the last bite, Isi managed not to lick the bowl—barely—and dropped the spoon onto the table. Then she heaved a deep sigh of satisfaction, savoring the sensation of being full.
“I could put that look on your face,” Talon’s dark voice whispered in her ear, one hand cupping the back of her neck while the other grasped her hip, pressing her against his thick cock. “In fact, I already did.”
She narrowed her gaze. So now they were going from pretending he was some sort of nurturing saint to the smooth seduction routine?
“You’re so full of shit,” she muttered.
He nibbled a path down the line of her jaw, his hips lifting so he could rub his erection against the soft flesh of her ass.
“But you want me.”
She shivered, need thundering through her body. Yes, she wanted him. Dammit. It was taking every ounce of her self-control not to turn so she was straddling him, pressing herself against the length of his cock to ease her ruthless need.
But she’d spent the entire day convincing herself that she wasn’t going to give Talon the Bastard another chance to humiliate her.
He’d called her evil.
He believed she was fated to destroy his people.
She’d had enough people in her life judging her without ever knowing a thing about her, thank you very fucking much.
“Why were you in my store?” she demanded, needing to remind herself she couldn’t trust this Pantera any farther than she could toss him.
He gave a low growl, his fingers tightening on her neck before he blew out a frustrated sigh and reached into his pocket to pull out his cellphone.
With a flick of his finger, he brought up his photos, choosing one that was clearly taken in front of her shop.
“This,” he said.
She frowned in confusion. “My van?”
His finger touched the emblem painted on the back panel. A raven flying across a full moon.
“This is the symbol of Shakpi,” he murmured. “Our enemy.”
She stiffened in his arms. Even expecting the blunt accusation, she flinched.
“I didn’t paint the van,” she muttered before she could halt the words.
“I know,” he said with surprising certainty, tossing his phone on the table. “Your employee Derek designed it.”
She sent him a startled glance. How the hell did he know about Derek?
“Yes. He said it would bring in more customers. I just liked it because—” She lifted her hand toward her birthmark only to drop it as she recalled his assurance that the blemish was a physical manifestation of her evilness. She shrugged. “I thought it was cool.”
He held her gaze, his hand moving to lightly trace the dark spot on her collarbone. “Because of this.”
His touch blazed through her like a wildfire, scorching her nerves until they were unbearably sensitive.
Which only pissed her off.
She didn’t want Talon to be the one man who could make her crave his touch. To make her so hungry she could barely think.
At least…she shouldn’t want it to be him.
“So you went to my shop looking for my tails and horns and pitchfork,” she muttered, her nipples hardening in anticipation of his touch. “Did you find them?”
“I found Derek,” he admitted, leaning forward to replace his fingers with the destructive touch of his lips. “And he confessed you weren’t involved with the traitors.”
She shuddered, her gaze locked on the savage beauty of his face as he used his tongue to trace the distinctive birthmark.
“And yet you don’t trust me,” she husked, barely able to breathe.
His fingers slipped into the short strands of her hair, tugging back her head so his lips could explore the satin length of her neck.
“I don’t trust my judgment when you’re near.”
She tried to squelch the moan that was wrenched from her throat. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“The prophecy says you’re destined to destroy me.” His fingers skimmed from her hip to tease the bare skin of her lower back. Then, as his teeth nipped the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, he moved his hand to discoverri the ribbon that laced together the back of her tiny top. With one tug her silky fabric was falling down to expose her bare breasts. Talon hissed as he pulled back to admire his handiwork, the jade that rimmed his eyes darkening with a brutal hunger. “But when I look at you all I see is how desperately I want you.”
“Talon,” she breathed, unable to disguise the edge of yearning that thickened her voice.
His fingers tightened in her hair. Possessive. Demanding.
“Say it again.” It was an order, not a request.
“Talon.”
Isi was lost in the unyielding heat of his eyes, feeling as if she were slowly melting beneath the potent heat of his desire.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She better than anyone understood the need to protect herself from the monsters that filled her world. The pervs, the pimps and the users who were constant threats to young girls on their own.
So why now, when she was trapped in the Wildlands and surrounded by her enemies, was she so eager to make herself utterly vulnerable? She should be kicking some serious feline butt, not battling the urge to sink her hands in that thick, golden hair and kiss him senseless.
Of course, maybe she was looking at this from the wrong angle, she told herself as he dipped his head so he could use the very tip of his tongue to tease at her nipple.
Christ. Why not accept that she wanted this man, for whatever reason, and use him, just as he was no doubt using her?
If he intended to hold her prisoner, she might as well get a mind-blowing orgasm out of the deal, shouldn’t she?
Not giving herself time to consider the numerous faults in her clouded logic, Isi reached down to yank her top off the rest of the way, before grabbing his T-shirt and performing the same service.
She trembled at the sight of his smooth, bronzed skin that was stretched tautly over the hard, chiseled muscles. His chest was broad and tapered to a flat stomach with a six-pack her fingers lingered to explore. He was sleek and well-toned without unnecessary bulk. And his hands…lord, they were magic as they cupped her breasts with a possessive touch that sent streaks of heat directly to all her most intimate places.
He was hard, male perfection top to bottom, and every place in between.
The bastard.
“This means nothing,” she muttered.
“Tell yourself whatever you want, darling.” A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. “But don’t doubt for a second that I intend to give you a night you’re never going to forget.”
“Arrogant.”
He nipped the tip of her nipple, making Isi’s heart stutter in shock. How could the tiny pain send jolts of ecstasy through her?
“Confident in my ability to please you.”
“You’re so full of shit…” Her taunting words were completely ruined as his lips closed around the nipple, sucking her with an expertise that had her trembling with need. “Oh.”
“Oh, indeed,” he growled, moving his lips to her collarbone. “I fucking want to taste you all over.”