“Tell me why you’re afraid.” I love the sound of his voice, the warmth and comfort of it. If only…

“There’s so much you don’t know,” is all I say. We’re still a moment, holding each other. Then I realize. “How did you find me?”

I step back to see his face. He gives me a little smile. “My partner Patrick is… well, he’s in love with your friend. It’s hard to explain.”

“Patrick is here?” The words are barely passing through my lips when I’m hit with the most powerful wave of nausea I’ve ever felt—even worse than before.

“Oh!” My hand goes immediately to cover my nose and mouth, and I push out of Derek’s arms, staggering back toward the wall.

I expect to see Patrick, but I’m surprised when it’s a different man. He’s as tall as Derek and equally intimidating, but he’s leaner. He looks like Patrick, but he’s darker with brown hair and hazel eyes. All these thoughts skitter through my mind as I struggle to get away from the man’s fierce glare. His presence is overpowering.

“Melissa,” Derek’s voice only glances off my misery. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, god,” I gasp. Reaching out, I push through the tables. My hip catches one, and it scoots forward against the people sitting around it, spilling their drinks. They complain loudly, but I’m far enough away from that person to have a clear shot at the door. I take it, practically running. The darkness is not a hindrance to me.

“Melissa!” Derek is behind me, but he’s having a harder time navigating the dark room.

I barely notice Patrick and Elaine cuddled nose to nose at the bar, grinning in their blissed-out state. The milder repellence of his aura drives me out into the pouring rain.

I’m soaked immediately, my red dress clinging to my body, but I can’t stop. I’ve got to get away. Moving quickly, I head west in the direction of my hotel, block after block. The street is still littered with people either too drunk to care about the pouring rain or committed to turning the sudden deluge into a game.

I dodge them, pushing past, onward until I’m at the corner of Bourbon and Conti Streets. A car rumbles past, hitting a puddle and sending an arc of water waist-high in my direction. With a little cry, I jump back, and SLAM! right into Derek’s firm chest.

His strong arms are around me again, pulling me under the awning of a daiquiri shop. We’re out of the rain, but he isn’t speaking. My back is to the wall, and he catches my chin, forcing me to look at him.

Drops of rainwater drip from the ends of his dark hair. We’re both soaked, but our physical condition is secondary to what’s happening now. The muscle in his square jaw moves, and I stare into his steel blue eyes. All the longing, the lust, the desire is there, but I see something new as well—confusion and disbelief. Anger.

My breath hitches faster, and he pulls away, dragging me behind him the remaining block to his hotel. We push past drunken tourists, and he strides through the lobby, barely noticing the doorman, who mutters Monsieur and holds out a thick, white towel.

Derek’s expression is resolute as we enter the elevator. It’s so different from last time. My heart thuds loudly in my ears, and my anticipation level remains high. I have no idea what’s coming or why he’s so angry. My dark hair is heavy and wet on my shoulder, and the air conditioning inside the building makes me shiver.

My nipples peak, and he notices. Lust smolders dark in his eyes. Still, I quiver under his stern gaze. A little ding, and the doors open. He takes my hand roughly and moves faster to his room. Door card in, chirp!, the door is open, and he practically throws me inside while he stops to remove his wet boots.

I cower against the wall, unsure whether to speak. I can’t stop shivering in the cold air, and with the thud of the second boot hitting the floor, Derek comes to me with determined strides.

His eyes are on my mouth. I’m breathing so fast, I can see my chest rising and falling as he slams my body against the wall. Pinned again, he looks hard into my eyes before claiming my mouth roughly, forcing my lips apart, and finding my tongue.

A little noise squeaks from my throat. I don’t know why he’s treating me so roughly. I grasp his shoulders, following his movements with mine, hearing his heart beating faster like mine. His blood heats in my veins and moisture pools between my legs. Even frightening and angry, I want him so much.

Without speaking, he takes my hand and leads me to the bed. He lifts my wet dress over my head and steps to drop it in the empty tub, pausing a moment to quickly discard his own wet shirt and jeans. I watch him mesmerized as he takes an oversized towel off the ledge and returns to me. He’s gloriously nude, the low light deepening the lines on his chest and stomach, his enormous cock fully erect.

Touching my hair with the towel, he gives it a few squeezes then spreads it on the bed behind me. Anger mixed with desire is in his eyes.

He lifts me and pushes me onto my back then grips my thighs, shoving them open. Immediately, he begins to kiss and lick my center. His soft lips and velvet tongue move slowly over my clit as his beard scrapes the delicate skin of my legs.

“Derek!” My cries join the low growl coming from his throat as heat rockets through my pelvis down to the arches of my feet. Adrenaline is so high in my veins I start to come.

“Oh, god!” The tingling sensation spreads over my gums.

My mouth! He has me trapped on my back against the mattress, his strong arms looped around my legs, large hands holding my hips.

“Derek!” I pull his hair, trying to twist away, to turn my body so he can’t see me, but I’m trapped.

He lets out another low growl, the vibration right against my clit, and he gives me a sharp suck. It’s too late. The muscles in my core tighten irresistibly in response to him. His blood in my veins magnifies everything about him, making him a drug to me. My back arches involuntarily as my teeth shoot out.

“Aaaah!” I let out a long wail, my eyes squeeze shut, and I come hard and shuddering on his mouth, unable to stop the ecstasy.

He doesn’t waste a moment. He’s up and plunging deep between my thighs just as fast, not waiting to see what I’ve become. Both of my wrists are clasped firmly over my head in his iron grasp as he surges on, harder, deeper, groaning as his rocks into me again and again. The friction of him stretching and filling me shudders my body with pleasure. His eyes are closed as he makes his final thrusts again and again as his orgasm reaches its crest.

“Melissa,” he groans low as he comes, pulsing in me, holding me down.

I’m trapped beneath him, tears filling my eyes, uncertain what all of this means or what happens now. He saw what I am, but he didn’t pull away. He held me, watching me writhe in desire and agony, as if he knew what would happen.

Oh, god. A wave of dread tightens my stomach at the thought. He knew what would happen. He knows what I am.

His head drops onto his forearm, but he’s still inside me. I wait until he finally lifts it, again. His eyes linger on my mouth a few desperate moments before he looks straight into my eyes. He’s so beautifully mouth-watering. Sweat mingles with the rain on his cheek, and a little drop runs into his beard.

I know my eyes darken at the sight of him. A whimper escapes my chest as the irresistible hunger burns in my throat.

His brow lowers. “You want to bite me?”

My eyes squeeze closed as a flood of fresh tears fills them, spilling out of the corners and down my cheeks. I take a shuddering breath, unable to deny the truth.

“Can you control it?” His voice has changed. The anger is replaced by curiosity.

Opening my eyes slowly, I study his expression, still stern, trying to understand. I don’t answer. I only watch him, my hunger aching in my gums.