The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)(46)
Author: Gena Showalter

Don’t stop. Can’t stop. Grinding his teeth, he worked another finger inside of her, stretching her… and that’s when he could no longer deny the barrier that marked her as virgin. His lips pulled down in a tight glower. His head tilted to the side and he found himself staring between her legs in confusion.

Virgin? Surely not. She was a grown woman. But the barrier could not be refuted.

He withdrew from her and stood. He didn’t touch her again, just looked her up and down. Like him, she was trembling.

A thousand thoughts tumbled through his fevered mind. How could so beautiful a woman still be a virgin? And why would Hunters send an inexperienced woman to tempt him?

She wouldn’t know how.

Why would the gods send a virgin to punish him? Would that not simply punish the virgin?

Obviously confused by his sudden withdrawal, Ashlyn craned her neck until her eyes met his. Pleasure and pain warred for dominance on her lovely features. "Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head, not yet ready to speak. Possessiveness was shooting through his every cell. No man had ever penetrated her. No man had ever tasted her sweetness.

"Why did you stop, then?" She turned to face him fully and he saw that her ni**les were hard, rosy and wet. They reached for him, begging… begging…

He’d been about to take her virginity and he’d never even kissed her, he realized. Any woman, even Bait, even divine punishment, deserved better than that. And right now, he didn’t believe she was either.

But she’d been out in that forest last night and four Hunters had been following her. The two situations were connected, he was certain of it, but now he thought – what? Could Ashlyn have been their target?

If so, why? She didn’t hold a demon inside her; he would have sensed it. Wouldn’t he? He didn’t know anymore. Didn’t know anything except that he wanted this woman with every fiber of his being. Had since the first moment he’d seen her. Something about her affected him deeply. Affected the spirit, even.

"Maddox?"

He badly wanted to take her virginity, but he wasn’t going to. Not today. Not when she’d been sick only hours before. Not when he wasn’t sure how he’d react to being inside her – and being her first. She would be a first for him, too. He’d never taken a virgin before. He would have to find the best way to go about it, the best way to keep Violence contained. The spirit would relish causing Ashlyn even momentary pain. Wouldn’t it? He might have to chain himself.

As for now…

He backed her against the cool tile. Her eyes rounded, those big beautiful brown eyes. Even though his lips had yet to heal fully, he kissed her. Her mouth opened in surprise, then widened in eagerness, welcoming his tongue. He thrust it inside, angling his head to go deeper, to take more, to feed her as much as she needed. Her flavor tantalized him, minty, feminine.

There was another spark between them.

She gasped, and he swallowed the sound. His chest flattened against her br**sts, her ni**les so hard they stabbed at his skin. He could feel the erratic hammer of her heartbeat.

He bent his knees and pushed up, rubbing his erection against her. She gasped again. She shivered. Her hands tangled in his hair, gripping, pulling him closer. Their teeth banged together; the kiss continued…never stopped…lasted forever…a kiss of sorcery and dreams and fire.

Yes, fire. There was so much fire. White-hot. Blistering. An inferno inside of him. He bit her lower lip, couldn’t have stopped himself even if he’d wanted to, which he no longer did. A bead of blood leaked onto his tongue. He savored the metallic taste.

Good, so good.

She moaned and bit him back, returning the darkness of his passion with a fervor that surprised him. Gentle, calm. He gripped her cheeks and forced – gently, calmly – her head to the side. Licking and nipping his way down her jaw, her collarbone, was almost his undoing. Her skin was like a drug and one little taste beckoned him to take more, do more. Experience all.

She arched against him, panting. She pulled back, panting still. She arched against him again. His erection probed between her legs, desperate to enter.

No, not yet. Innocent, remember? She is innocent.

Her teeth sank into his collarbone, and he almost came. Almost spilled then and there. She was wild, frantic for release. Her fingers moved to his back and squeezed, kneaded. Her nails scored his skin.

He didn’t think she was aware of her actions. Her head was thrashing from side to side and her eyes were closed. "I’ll make you come," he told her, fighting for his own control.

"Yes. Come." She released him to grip her own br**sts, to pinch the ni**les between her fingers.

He’d never seen a more erotic sight.

"Just touch me," she commanded roughly. "Don’t stop touching me."

"Will. Need…a moment." He closed his fingers over his erection, knowing he’d spread her and take her if he didn’t. He pumped once, twice. Hissed in a breath.

"Maddox. Hurry!"

"With my hands or mouth?" he asked, the words barely audible. The water was beating against her, slipping and sliding down her abdomen, daring him to follow and drink.

"Wh-what?" She pried open her eyes, looking at him, looking at herself. When she realized what she was doing with her hands, she dropped her arms to her sides and blushed.

"Should I touch you with my hands or my mouth?" He continued pumping his own hand down his swollen length, wishing it were her hand. Or her mouth. Her body.

"Hands?"

He didn’t know a lot about humans, but he recognized her true desire. She wanted his mouth to finish her. He wanted it, too. The need probably embarrassed her; well, he would conquer that soon enough.

He dropped to his knees a second time.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, scandalized. In the undercurrents of her voice, however, were tendrils of excitement.

Rather than answer, he licked her right where she needed him. It was something he’d wanted to do to a woman for years but hadn’t dared risk, too afraid of Violence’s reaction. In that moment, he was too enthralled to be afraid, and suddenly he was glad that he had waited. Ashlyn tasted of pure, innocent female. She tasted of honey. Passion and slick heat. Drugging, addicting. His.

"Mouth," she gasped out. "Mouth. Changed my mind."

He licked her again and her belly quivered. She flattened her palms on the tile beside her, holding herself up. Her hips arched forward, seeking more of his tongue. He gave it to her. Spreading her with one hand and pumping his shaft with the other, he sucked on her hot center. She moaned, she undulated, she writhed.

"More?" he asked.

"More. Yes. Please."

She was close, so close. He could feel her rushing toward release, could taste the abundance of sweetness. Bite. The urge scared him. He stopped moving. She screamed in frustration, and he clamped his jaw in aroused pain.