The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)(67)
Author: Gena Showalter

"Need a moment… to get spirit…under control," he bit out. "Don’t want to leave. Don’t want to walk away. But the urges…"

"Mmm, urges. Yes."

"No. Dark. Violent. Hard."

"I’m not scared." No, she was excited, willing to take him and the spirit. It was a part of him, so she’d love it, too.

"Should be scared." The sweat that had beaded on his temples dripped onto her cheek, the frosty air doing nothing to cool him down. "Haven’t done it this way in thousands of years. Haven’t looked at a woman while…"

He didn’t finish, but she could guess what he’d been  unable to say. He hadn’t looked at a woman while making love to her. Ashlyn met his gaze again, all the love she felt for him shining brightly. She didn’t try to hide it, couldn’t. "I don’t want to wait anymore."

"Must."

She drew up her knees, trying to urge him forward, but he braced a palm on the headboard, refusing to budge. Grrr! She didn’t want him to fear hurting her. "Pound. Bite."

"No. Not with you."

"Pound me. Bite me. I won’t break."

"I won’t hurt you." He shook his head, refusing to look at her. "Won’t hurt you. Promised."

Make him lose control. Prove to him that he can’t hurt you, no matter what he does. Yes, she thought, cupping his jaw and forcing him to peer down at her. If he held back this time, if he continued to fear the things he wanted to do to her, he’d eventually stop touching her altogether. He’d leave her.

"Give me all you’ve got. Just do it now," she told him on a moan, once more trying to slide herself down on his thick length. "I’m so wet, I’m already in pain."

His shallow pants filled her ears. "Just a few more minutes. I’m just going to hold you, then I have to leave."

No, not okay.

She traced her fingertips down his back, loving the feel of velvet poured over electrified steel. His tattoo had looked so real, she’d expected it to be raised, but it wasn’t. It was smooth and as warm as the rest of him.

"If you won’t take me…" She tried to appear innocent as she massaged his butt. The muscles contracted on contact. "I’ll take you."

Without another warning, she tightened her grip and jerked at the same moment as she arched forward.

Maddox’s arm bent and he slammed inside her. A cry spilled from her lips, pained and blissful all at once.

Maddox’s control shattered.

He roared, loud and long, pulling back and slamming forward over and over again. She gasped, feeling him so deeply she’d never again be able to think of herself as simply Ashlyn. She was now Maddox’s woman.

He bit the cord of her neck and she trembled. Back he continued to slide, forward he continued to slam. The entire bed shook, metal legs screeching against the floor. He gripped one of her knees, anchoring it on the curve of his arm, spreading her legs farther apart and giving him deeper penetration.

"I’m sorry," he chanted. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t be. Yes, yes!" she cried.

His tempo increased and his thrusts became harder. "Ashlyn," he panted. "Ashlyn."

She was on fire, burning from the inside out. Her pulse points hammered in tune with his strokes. Back and forth her head thrashed as she became mindless to anything except the pleasure.

He pinched her ni**les and that made her hotter.

He scraped his teeth over her throat and that made her wetter.

He squeezed her thighs tightly and that made her needier. "Sorry," he said again. "So sorry. Wanted to be gentle."

"Love it hard. Want harder." Gentle could come later, after her need had been sated. After he realized she could – and quite happily – take anything he had to give. "Close. So close." Almost there. Just needed…

He tangled his hand in her hair and jerked her face to his, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. His decadent taste flooded her, a drug, a shot of heroin. In that instant, she erupted. Burst. Flames of ecstasy consumed her.

Her entire body shuddered and wept. A scream was ripped from her as white light and shadows flashed through her mind. She was dying slowly, dying quickly. Just… dying. Flying to heaven.

"Ashlyn," Maddox shouted as he, too, erupted. Hot seed spurted inside her, pulsing deep… so deep… His muscles tensed. "Mine." He bit down on her neck again, as if he couldn’t help himself.

This time, he drew blood.

It should have hurt, did hurt – so good, so good – but it made her come again. She trembled and arched against him, crying out with the heady bliss of it. Never would she have thought pleasure and pain could mix so potently. Never would she have thought one could trigger the other. But they did. And she was glad.

He collapsed on top of her, again panting, "Sorry. So sorry. Didn’t mean – "

"No sorries. I’m glad." Satisfaction hummed through her as she accepted his weight. Satisfaction and true happiness. "Always want it this way."

He rolled to his back, taking her with him. Boneless, she lay on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her, smoothing his hands down her back. "You would have liked gentle better. Especially for your first time."

Slowly she smiled. "I doubt it, but I’m willing to let you try and convince me."

Amazement flickered in his eyes a split second before he had her straddling his waist. "That will be my pleasure."

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Never, in all his life, had Maddox been so sated. Not in all his thousands of years.

Thrice he’d made love to Ashlyn and now she was sleeping next to him, tucked into his side, breath traipsing over his ribs. After hard and fast, then slow and tender, she’d claimed she needed a reminder of what hard and fast was like before deciding which she liked better.

He’d been shocked, awed and humbled by her words, for he’d shown her the worst, the beast, the part of himself that he despised, but she had not run screaming. Hadn’t cried. No, she had asked for more.

He grinned at the memory. A true, unrestrained grin, he thought, amazed. When the spirit had demanded Maddox mark her, he’d been helpless to do anything but obey. So he had bitten her and drawn blood. Everything virtuous inside of him had screamed in protest, ashamed. But she had liked it; she truly had not minded, had even bitten him in response. And now he felt free. He did not have to fear his reactions with her. He did not have to fear.

She was everything he had never known he needed, everything he could never live without. She had… tamed him. She had charmed the spirit. He’d told her his plan to keep her, and he’d meant it. She belonged with him, now and always.

Slowly he traced a fingertip over her spine. She murmured in her sleep and burrowed deeper against him. Her breast pressed against his underarm, spearing him with heat. What a treasure she was. He’d gone into the forest looking for a monster, but found salvation instead.