Charming the Beast (Purgatory #3)(22)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Connor’s gaze had dropped to her body. Heated. He gave a jerky nod.

“I want you.” There, she’d said it. “I don’t care who you were before. I don’t care about any scars you have. I want you.” He needed to understand that. She was the last person who’d judge him.

“You know…” His voice was more beast than man. “That I’d do anything to have you.”

No, she hadn’t known that. His words gave her the courage to continue.

“You asked if I’d had sex with Keegan.”

His hands clenched.

“The truth is…I haven’t had sex with anyone.”

His head jerked up then, and he stared at her in shock.

“I wanted to, but…at sixteen, I was attacked by a pack of werewolves. They bit me, and that’s when my change started. I could never control it. And when I was angry or…or aroused, the change would come out more. The last thing I wanted to do was accidentally use my claws to rip open a lover.”

So she’d pulled away. Kept a distance between herself and the men who’d come into her life. Keegan…she’d never planned to go far with him because she hadn’t wanted to hurt him.

Guess he and I were both keeping secrets.

She wanted no secrets between her and Connor. “My silver sensitivity is back. So it’s probably just a matter of time until the rest of my…well, until everything else is back, too.” Then she’d return to the land of pain and terror. “Before that, I want to be with you. I want to know what it’s like to go wild in a man’s arms and not fear hurting him.”

Connor didn’t move. “I’m not a man, baby. You know I’m more. And I don’t want to hurt you.”

She stepped toward him. Put her hand on his chest. His skin was so warm. Almost blazing hot. And his muscles were like stone beneath her touch. “I don’t think you ever would.” Her gaze searched his. “You have your control.” She knew that.

He shook his head. “Not with you. With you, it breaks.”

She pushed up on her toes. Skimmed her lips over his throat. Felt the frantic beat of his pulse beneath her mouth. “I trust you, and I want you.” She needed this. Before midnight, before the pain that would come, Chloe had to be with him.

Just once. Shouldn’t she get one time? To want and be wanted?

You can still love and be loved.

Chloe slammed the door on that thought, hating the whisper that had just slipped through her mind.

She licked his skin, then lightly scored him with her teeth.

Connor shuddered against her. “You shouldn’t…I shouldn’t…”

Oh, they most certainly should. She kissed a sensual path down his chest. Carefully, she spent time pressing her lips to each scar, hating the pain that he’d endured. His father had been a true bastard, and she was glad the man was dead. Glad that he’d never hurt Connor or anyone else again.

His body seemed to grow even harder, even hotter as she kissed him. Her hands feathered over him. She loved touching Connor. He was so powerful.

Down, down she went.

“Chloe…”

Her knees hit the wooden floor. Her fingers didn’t even tremble when she reached for the snap of his jeans. She popped that snap and pulled down the zipper.

He grabbed her hands.

“I want this,” she said, looking up at him. “I want you.” So she didn’t have the practical experience, that wasn’t holding her back. She’d always been a fast learner. She wasn’t fighting claws and a painful change. She was riding the crest of desire she always felt when Connor was near.

“Us…what we do…it will change everything.” His words sounded like a warning, but his hold had eased on her.

She wrapped her hands around his fully erect cock. So long and strong. Wider than her wrist. “I don’t care.” Chloe put her mouth on him. Her lips slid over the head of his arousal. Her tongue feathered over him, and then she took him deeper into her mouth, fighting to gain a rhythm even as she savored the slightly salty taste of him.

Every lick of her tongue, every move of her mouth seemed to turn Chloe on more and more. She’d thought to bring him pleasure. She hadn’t realized just how wild she’d make herself. She wanted more and more and—

He lifted her up. Pretty much yanked away her bra and panties and put her on the bed. She bounced a little and heard the ragged heave of her breath.

His eyes were glittering. Connor stared at Chloe as if he could devour her right then.

Yes, please.

His hands closed over her thighs. He pulled her to the edge of the bed, opened her legs wide, and stared down at her sex. “So pretty.” His voice was a growl. A deep, sensual growl that rumbled over her. “Pink and pretty.” Then he put his mouth on her.

There was no hesitation from Connor. He licked her. Stroked her with his fingers and his mouth and he had Chloe arching off that bed.

But when she tried to pull away from him because it was too much, too intense, her whole body was quivering—he held her hips. He kept her against his mouth and—

She came. An explosion that burst through her body. Chloe started to scream his name because it was seriously that amazingly good.

Then she remembered where she was. Who could hear them. She bit her lower lip, bit it hard to hold back her cries as she rode out that powerful storm of release.

Connor rose slowly. Pushed his body up so that he was above her. “Was that the first?” Connor wanted to know.

She managed a nod.

“Good, f**king—” He broke off and his eyes fell on her mouth. “Oh, Chloe…you’re bleeding.”

She hadn’t felt the pain.

“Let me help…” Then his mouth was on hers. He kissed her so softly. So carefully then…

His fingers slid over her br**sts. Traced her ni**les. His touch had her eagerly pushing up against him. Was the desire supposed to return so fast? She’d come, but she already wanted him again. Her ni**les felt hyper-sensitive, and his every touch had her yearning to feel more…to feel him, deep inside.

He was kissing her neck now. Hot, open-mouthed kisses that seemed to send a streak of fire right to her sex. She was wet and hot for him, and she wanted Connor inside of her this time when she came.

“There’s pleasure in the bite…” Connor’s voice was such a delicious rumble. “Let me give you pleasure, Chloe.”

She wanted him to give her everything. There was no going back. Chloe knew that. A few more hours, and her life would be over. She needed every bit of pleasure now. She needed Connor—now.