I wasn’t deceived by the ploy at an endearing embrace. My chest lifted as I breathed more heavily. His head dropped to the side of my neck, and he nuzzled my hair away from it to place a kiss along the sensitive skin. Kissing his way up to just behind my earlobe. I shivered at the pleasant sensation. My resentment growing with every weak feminine response of my body. He was big enough to fold nearly entirely around me. Kissing at the hollow of clavicle before delving his tongue in. I jerked like he’d stuck me with a blade. But I met the restrictive limit of my own arms trapping me against him. “Ssh…” He whispered. “Stay. Relax against me.” I told myself I didn’t want to. But I did. Finally giving in, I let my body rock back into him. My head lolling against his opposite shoulder. Giving him free access to tease at my neck and the peak of my shoulder. He slid a finger under the shoulder of my dress. Pushing it lightly from the path of his lips until it hung loosely over my bice

He held my hips to him and hooked his arms under my knees as he rolled onto his back. Pulling me over him so I sat astride his head. I yelped, Afraid he’d be smothered. But he wasn’t objecting. Instead, my own body worked against me. Bringing me down further on him so he could plunge that hot tongue in and out of me in a gesture I was sure would mimic what he intended to do with his thickening cock. I was weakening. Turning into a wanton creature that wanted nothing else. Could think of nothing other than him and what he was doing to me. He’s turning me inside out. His animal behavior was causing an equally wild response in me. I was leaned over. Balanced over the dirt floor. Letting him have my center My knees reflexively tightening along the sides of his head until I could no longer take the tightening overwhelming me. I lurched upward tossing myself backward and having to balance my hands under me, on each side of his hips. My body grinding against his mouth in a rhythmic wa

He wasn’t about to let me go to town without him going with me. And when I sought to argue, he reminded me that someone was still out to kill me. Which did persuade me to relent. He is right about that. I summoned the carriage, and he rode astride in pace with me. The window was down as I glared at him. Making clear my annoyance at his presence. “You know who it is, don’t you?” “A rival kingdom?” “Hardly.” He snorted. “All the goods, your beloved king sends out to his people is circumvented by carriages bearing the Bartholomew coat of arms and rerouted to Malaise City. His city.” “You’re saying Bartholomew is stealing from us?” I nearly laughed aloud. “He’d never need to. My King gives him all that he desires.” “And he’d have no reason to need me dead. As it stands, he would be the regent until his children are of age to assume the throne.” “I’m no obstacle to that.” “You would be, if you bore young.” I stared forward. “I’m no obstacle to him.” “You don’t intend to spawn

The rest of the evening was pleasant. Alaric seemed to have dissolved into the crowd. But when I searched for him, he was easy enough to spot. Surrounded by women. They flocked around him. Clearly drawn by his beast, without ever being aware. A predator is all the more dangerous if he can coax his prey to him. That immediately made me think of myself. Am I any less prey? The immediate answer was ‘no.’ Much time had passed since Alaric and I had become secret lovers. He wasn’t always vicious and possessive. Much of the time. But not always. Sometimes he was painfully sweet. And in many ways, that was even worse. It was so hard to remember he was my enemy when we were connected at the stem and center. Warming each other. Finding pleasure in each others’ bodies. Without even meaning to I could picture his sleek body nude. Smooth, bronzed skin. Muscles winding over him which tensed with pleasure when I caressed him. Light blue eyes that could become icy slivers of contempt in

Never. I told myself. Even as I watched Alaric slowly easing toward me. His belly hardening and his arms flexing as he massaged along my belly. Stroking along the insides of my thighs. Eventually reaching down between us to pinch his thumbs along the outer edges of his cock. Pressing my soft lips against him a bit harder and intensifying the sensations inside me. I cried out and writhed over my bedding. Trying to escape me. “Oh no, Sweetheart. There’s no escaping me.” I tossed my head. Staring at a tapestry on the wall in an effort to hide from the fact that everything he was doing was more pleasing than any attempt my sweet old king had ever made to satisfy me. Any of Alaric’s simple touches set me on fire. The way he smelled was pure sex. Making me want him every time I caught a whiff. All of which, made me hate him more. All wolf temptation would be gone if he wasn’t here. I believed I could truly separate myself from the beasts I was born into if I could just be left alone.