Her head fit perfectly against his shoulder. A perfect cushion. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting his strength carry her exhausted body. At the sound of a door opening, she popped her eyes open to see them at his cabin.

“Why didn’t you take me home?” God she just wanted her bed, her warm blanket, and at least ten hours of sleep.

“It’s too smoky there from the explosion.”

Oh, right. Her neighbor’s house exploded. Two people died.

He took her into the bedroom and tightened his hold around her as he pulled back the covers and set her on the bed. She was ready to curl up but he stopped her, then started taking off her shoes.

“Oh yeah,” she said softly. She hadn’t even thought about her muddy shoes.

He pulled off her wet socks too, and then pushed her back under the covers. She sighed as soon as her head hit the pillows. She closed her eyes and let her sore muscles relax into the mattress.

“Goodnight, Dmetri.”

“Night, millaya moya. ”

My sweet. She liked hearing him call her that. She smiled and passed out in an instant.

A ferocious growl dragged Christine to the realm of consciousness. She blinked at her surroundings, first noting the dulled sunlight that came in through the window and then the man wrapped around her. That growl came again and she petted her belly. Damn thing was a beast when it was hungry.

She’d slept in his arms for the second time. She sighed at the whole situation. She liked Dmetri, she did. He took himself so seriously that she couldn’t help but get a lot of entertainment being around him. It also didn’t take much to see that he kept his emotions locked up tight inside.

He said mating wasn’t in the cards for him when what that really meant was that he was afraid to fall in love. The notion was so ridiculous to her that she started laughing. The arm around her waist tightened, pulling her more fully against him.

He nuzzled her neck and in a slumberous voice said, “What are you laughing at?” Her throat constricted and she swallowed hard to ease it. Waking up next to him with his body wrapped around hers created a stir of feelings inside her—feelings that she liked. What would he do if she told him that? If she told him that if she let herself, she might be able to care for him. The picture came easily to her. He’d stiffen then curtly tell her the arrangement was off before shoving her out of the cabin.

“At my stomach. I’m hungry.”

His heavy sigh across her neck shot goose bumps down her arms making her shiver. His arm tightened around her and then he pushed her onto her back. She stared up into his eyes, heavy-lidded from sleep. But what made her breath catch was the look in his eyes. Soft, gentle, dare she say, caring. They traced over her face as a painter might before he dabbed into his paints and began.

“Suppose I need to feed you then.”

His words were dark, erotic. All she could picture was his beautiful cock sliding between her lips, feeding her. Quickly, she pulled away. He tried to grab her but she stood and started pulling her muddy shoes back on.

“What?” Impatience and his thick accent made the simple word sound incredibly sexy.

She couldn’t do this with him. Well, hell, she could, but it wasn’t right. She still planned on going on that date with Alpha Jason. It was for the best and she knew it. It all came down to a matter of wants and needs. Did she want Dmetri—terribly. But she didn’t need him. She needed an Alpha to finally put her and her mother’s conscious at ease.

He sat up in a move so fast she barely registered movement and then he snagged her wrist and pulled her on top of him.

“Dmetri.” She struggled against him while trying to keep her dirty shoes off the bed.

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “Say my name again. I enjoy hearing it from your lips. Course, I love your lips.”

She laughed as he started nibbling on each of her lips. He tucked her beneath him and slowly moved on top of her. The breath she was taking caught in her throat as his body completely covered hers. Where she was soft, he was hard and firm.

“Say it,” he said darkly. He caught her lips in little kisses before tracing down to her neck to give soft bites that left her trembling.

“Dmetri, Dmetri, Dmetri!”

His laughter flowed over her like warm wine. She really liked that sound, deep and rich, accented.

“Ochen horosho.” His hands trailed over her hips and up her side in a long sweep.

“What does that mean?” she asked a bit breathlessly.

“Very good.” He started down her body in slow increments. A kiss to her neck then to her collarbone. Her breath hitched and memories of the night outside the restaurant drifted through her mind.

“Dmetri,” she gasped.

His hands pushed her shirt up and over her breasts. The bra she wore offered no protection because he easily released the catch at her back and pulled it down her arms. The straps trapped her arms to her sides but freed her breasts.

“Just keep saying my name, sweet. It’ll be good practice for when you come home with me.”

Christine’s stomach tightened with nerves; her sex grew needy and wet. His mouth captured a hard nipple, pulling it, sucking on it. Her breasts responded at the attention, pulling tighter, pressing towards his talented tongue.

His mouth trailed to the neglected breast. “I love morning fucks.” Her eyes shot wide at his words. “What?”

Hands on her hips pulled open her jeans then he pulled away, shoved them down her legs, and pushed off her shoes again. He didn’t even pull the jeans all the way off, just let them sit like a knot around her ankles so she couldn’t move them.

“Fucking in the morning. Surely you’ve heard of it. With how passionate you are I’d be surprised if you hadn’t.”

He pulled his shirt over his head, stirring the long blonde strands of his hair in an array around his shoulders and back. Still his compliment made her smirk.

“I knew you liked it.”

He gave her an arched look. “I loved it, which is just another reason why you’re mine now and coming back with me.”

She shook her head no. He ignored it, trailed his lips up one leg, over her knee with a kiss, and then further. The further up he went, the farther he spread her thighs, slowly crawling in between them.

“Though don’t expect our sex to always be like that.”

Huh. She blinked, confused. Big warm hands pressed on her thighs, squeezing then trailing over her hips as his came over her, his mouth once again finding her breasts.

“Why not? I thought it was pretty...amazing.”

He grunted against her breast then braced himself on a strong arm to play between her legs with his other. He flatted his palm above her mound. He let his thumb idly swing across her clit.

“Because I’m in charge and will always be.”

Christine gaped at him then she started laughing.

“Always laughing at me,” he growled.

And then he ripped her panties off and thrust inside.

There was no time to prepare, to expect it. He just took her in a hard stroke. And he didn’t stop moving.

His thrusts were hard, fast, steady. Christine moaned, head swishing side to side at the full, stretched feeling. He leaned down and sucked a nipple into his mouth. Her thighs squeezed tightly around his hips wanting to wrap completely around him but her jeans kept her still for his thrusts.

With each thrust, he built her up higher and higher. Breathing grew difficult, body burned hot as a sensual haze clouded over her. He was right there with her, groans meeting moans as he thrust into her body again and again.

Christine liked it, but she wanted more. Calling on the beast which happily purred with contentment at his touch inside her, she used it to kick her legs apart. The denim tore with a loud rip and he lifted his mouth from her breast to give her a strange look. She wanted to know what that look was, it almost looked...accusing.