He brushed his lips against her mouth, making her want more, and drew his fingers upward across her stomach, blazing a trail to her breast. All her bones dissolved as she melted to his touch, his fingers kneading her swollen breast. A wet ache between her legs commenced, and she tugged at the drawstrings on his sweats. Not waiting for his reaction, she jerked the pants down to his thighs.
His arousal sprang free and he half-groaned or growled. And lost control of his slow and measured seduction, as if she'd finally given her mountain man permission to ravish her like a woman in need and not treat her like she was a delicate flower.
He kicked off the sweats and slid her panties down her hips and lower, his tongue penetrating her mouth, conquering, decisive, as if the invisible bars of the cage holding him back had vanished. Pressing his knee between her thighs, he opened her to him, his fingers slipping downward through her short curly hairs, all the way to her womanly folds. His smoldering expression changed subtly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
Yeah, she was ready for him. Had been ever since he'd pinned her to the beach.
His mouth moved to her throat, and he licked a trail to her breast. Then his warm lips latched onto her nipple, suckling, his fingers dipping deep inside her folds. A shiver of need streaked through her, and she arched her pelvis against him, never having wanted sex this bad, or for it to feel so damned good.
His wet fingers stroked her swollen nub, and she grabbed handfuls of his dark hair, his heated breath on her neck as he kissed her there. Every touch felt more erotic than the last and her nerve endings drew in the sensations.
She wanted him inside her, stoking her needs while fulfilling his own, but she didn't want him to stop what he was doing either. Oh, what the hell. If he didn't like that she wanted more, that was his problem. "I want you inside of me, now."
He pressed his leg between hers again, raising up until he connected with her mound and rubbed. She was ready to burst into flames. She groaned, well, kind of whimpered.
Which seemed to spur him on. His fingers worked faster, stroking her, drawing her to the peak, while his mouth did sweet things to one breast and then the other, her fingers digging into his shoulders, then releasing and sweeping down his firm sides. His hot tongue tasted, teased, his teeth grazed her reverently, sending delicious chills exploding across her skin.
"You smell of peaches and cream, and an enticing scent that's all you," he murmured heavily against her cheek.
Before she could respond, his fingers brought her to the edge of the world and she came, shattered into a million sparks of wonderment, the first time she had ever felt such a sensation, her insides quaking with ripples of orgasm.
Her heart thumped rapidly, her breath shallow as he took her in his arms, his eyes smoldering with hunger.
"You still want me?" he asked, his voice raspy and tight.
"Hmm," was all she could manage. If he quit now, she'd strangle him.
He laughed under his breath and pulled her onto her back. "I don't mean to brag, but you're pretty small, and I'm pretty--"
"Huge," she finished for him.
His amber eyes and delicious mouth smiled. "Just thought I'd warn you."
"Appreciate the warning, but you're wasting time." She still couldn't shake the feeling that any second now, he would just vanish in a puff of mist, like a genie recalled to his bottle.
He captured her mouth with his, not slowly, or sweetly, but like he hadn't had a woman in a very long time, and he couldn't wait a second longer. He smelled of the wind in the pines, and hot-blooded male, his gaze clouded with lust. His hands captured her hair and squeezed.
Her heart couldn't beat any faster as he centered himself between her legs. She might have found her treasure on the beach in the form of the hunky naked guy, but Hunter was about to plunder his own treasure as he eased inside of her.
No matter how much Hunter had tried to deny his craving for the woman, he knew it would come to this. Thankfully, he had been able to control his wolf's desires long enough to remember he didn't have a mate. Still, hooking up with Tessa was not a good idea. She was too damned needy and should have had a decent guy who would care for her, one who wanted to stick it out for the long run. Someone who wouldn't hunt on moon-filled nights in a wolf's coat.
He eased deeper into her tight sheath and began massaging her breasts to loosen her up. He could tell she hadn't been with a man in a very long time and the notion pleased him. He was even more convinced than before--if she had been a gray lupus garou, he would never let her go.
Her sweet, musky scent had all but undone him when he first stroked her breast, triggering her arousal. And thinking of the way she had touched him--rubbed his muscles with such finesse, cleaned the salt from his skin with tenderness, covered his injuries with the faintest of touches--every sensation was permanently etched into his brain.
He embedded himself inside her to the hilt and slowly began to withdraw. She smiled in a way that would heat any man's blood. What was worse, he already wanted her to smile at only him like that. The problem? Not enough lupus garou females to satisfy the male population.
He meant to draw out the lovemaking, take it slow and easy the first time with her. But she combed her fingers through his hair in such a sensual way, and then her fingers drew higher and began to massage his scalp, he felt he would lose his seed before he could make it very much farther.
He plunged in deeper, harder, fulfilling his raw need to conquer, to possess her. And she was worthy of being his, but he would not go there.
He watched her expression as he pumped deep inside of her, her sparkling eyes observing him, challenging him to give her everything he had. He felt the end coming and with one last hard thrust, he filled her with his seed. Sweet heaven, she was a gift from the gods.
Sexually satiated, he kissed her upturned lips, and then rolled onto his back, pulling her into his arms, loving the way her soft body molded against his hardness. "I wasn't too rough, was I?" he asked, his voice raspy against her ear, although it was a little too late for asking.
She shivered and touched his extended nipple. "Just perfect. I've never taken a nap that's been so--stimulatingly satisfying."
He chuckled. "Health experts say a nap a day can add years to your life."
"I believe it. Well, especially while napping with you."
He could have snuggled with her until nightfall, although they managed to sleep for an hour, but Rourke began stirring in the living room. More than stirring. He was banging around, probably tired of Tessa and Hunter "sleeping" together.
Hunter gave a ragged sigh and kissed the top of Tessa's head. "Let's get up. I need to gather more firewood and start that roast if it's going to be ready by dinnertime."
"You'll be careful tonight when you go looking for the thief, won't you?"
"Yeah, but you and Rourke stay together and don't leave the house this time."
"Do you remember everything about your life? Where you're from, where you were born?"
"No. It's coming back in annoying fragments." But he hoped he would soon remember what had happened to him before he ended up in the Pacific. Then he would take care of that little matter, too.
The tension ran high the rest of the evening. Rourke seemed perturbed Hunter had slept with Tessa earlier in the day and would again for part of the night. And she couldn't quit worrying about Hunter's safety tonight. Something seemed to be bothering him also. Another recollection? Maybe concern that they shouldn't have made love this afternoon. If he left tomorrow, she would have no regrets about what they had done. Well, no. She wasn't being honest with herself. She doubted she would ever find a man who was quite like Hunter. No one would ever measure up to him.