Clawed: Wild Things, Book 3 (6 page)

Billy nodded, then shot Conan a pointed look. “I know, Chloe, and anyone can understand your position. But give me a chance. Let me see if I can reason with him.”

Conan growled but allowed Billy to tug him to the side. Still, he kept his eyes on Chloe. Taking the hint from Billy, Nina pulled Chloe to the opposite side of the campsite, away from Conan—and away from the sketchpad.

“Conan, what’s your problem? It’s just a drawing.”

True enough. But Conan couldn’t find the words to describe his feeling. It was just a drawing but it was also so much more. “I’m the subject. Both sides of me.”

“Yeah, but who’s going to believe that a half man, half bear is for real?”

He cocked an eyebrow at his friend. “You mean, like how some people believe Bigfoot is real? Or werewolves? Hell, the damn vampires are showing up so much that people are imitating them. Even forming vampire clubs. What’s to say drawings like hers won’t start the same shit for my kind?”

Billy narrowed his eyes. “Okay, I can see your position…to a point. But are you sure there isn’t something more involved here? Like maybe she gets to you?”

He glared at the were-coyote. “You’re nuts. She doesn’t get to me.” He glanced at Chloe, then yanked his attention back to his friend. “Not the way you think.”

“Sorry, but your actions say different.”

“He’s not taking my drawing!”

Conan and Billy turned to see Nina trying to calm down an agitated and very determined Chloe. Both women noticed the men watching them and grew silent, then continued their argument in hushed tones.

“Billy, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Now let’s just grab the drawing and get out of here.” He slammed his mouth shut, keeping the next thoughts to himself.
Wasn’t it bad enough that I dreamed of her last night?

A slash of light brightened the world, followed by a clap of thunder that reverberated overhead, causing everyone to look toward the sky. Black clouds billowed and swirled, changing day into night, and without warning, the clouds opened up and let loose a hard, drenching rain.

Chloe screeched, breaking away from Nina’s attempt to pull her into a tent. Billy blocked Nina from going after Chloe, then pulled her into a tent. Conan raced over to meet Chloe at the log where she’d left her drawing, her hair falling into her face as she held the sketchpad. Picking her up with one arm, he carried her into the other tent and flopped her down onto her sleeping bag. She remained where she’d landed, clutching the pad to her chest.

“Are you all right?”

Alarm raked through him when she didn’t answer. Had she been hit by lightning? Sometimes lightning could travel through the ground and into an animal, but he couldn’t find any sign of injury on her.

“Chloe, answer me. Are you hurt?” He knelt beside her, expecting her to either shrink away or to strike out. But she didn’t move. Figuring he had to do something to get a reaction from her, he touched her knee. Her head jerked at the same time he felt something—the remnants of an electric current?—sweep from her into his hand. He yanked his hand away.

“No.” Her eyes changed, melting away the anger he’d seen before into a sad, soft brown. “I’m not hurt. At least not the way you think.”

Relief washed over him. “Then what’s the big deal about a little rain?” He glared at her, annoyed at the emotions she stirred within him, but her gaze had returned to the sketchbook.

“It’s ruined,” she whispered. “Totally ruined.”

The drawing, soaked and tearing apart, was destroyed.

Sadness swept over him and he realized he hadn’t wanted to destroy the drawing after all. Instead, he’d hoped to possess it, to keep it safe. Then he could have looked at the drawing and remembered the beautiful woman who’d created it.

“I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not. You wanted it destroyed and now it is.”

If he could have reached out and taken her pain away, he would have. Instead, he sat at the edge of the sleeping bag and shook his head. “I did at first, but now I realize that wasn’t true. I wanted to have it.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “You wanted to keep it?” She appeared to study him, staring at him as though she could see into his very soul. After a few moments, she broke into laughter.

Now it was his turn to be surprised. “What are you laughing at?” Although he preferred the laughter to the dismal sadness, it didn’t make sense.

“Hell, if you wanted it so badly, why didn’t you just ask me for it?”

“Would you have given it to me?”

“No.” She shook her head emphatically.

He liked the twinkle in her eye and the slightest hint of dimples in her cheeks. “Would you have sold it to me?”

She shook her head again. “Nope. Not a chance.”

He laughed with her this time until another clap of thunder drowned out both of them. A moment later he was on top of her, crushing his mouth to hers, driving his tongue between her lips, his hands tearing the wet clothes away from her breasts.

Chapter Four

Chloe yanked at his shirt, tearing at it and tugging it over his head. His hands were all over her, pulling, ripping her wet clothes away, grabbing her then releasing her only to grab her elsewhere.

Her breath came out in bursts of air in between fervent kisses, never allowing her to fill her lungs completely, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t stop the kisses. Gone were her jeans in seconds, her thong flying after them. She struggled to unleash the hardness hidden by his jeans, finally having no recourse but to allow him to help. Within minutes, she lay naked on top of her sleeping bag with the mountain of a man towering over her, the realization of her fantasy come alive.

He was amazing, a god come to life. His dark eyes bored into her, fathomless pools that beckoned to her, daring her to dive in and discover the man inside. His jaw made her wet with the need to lay her face against his and rake the prickly stubble over her smooth skin. Muscles rippled across his wide chest as he held his body over hers.

She bit her lip, then cast her gaze down before forcing herself to look at him again. He studied her for a moment as though reconsidering, golden flakes flashing in his eyes, then let out a slow growl that both terrified and thrilled her.

He took her mouth again, nibbling at her lips and sliding his hand along her neck to her shoulder, then down to caress the side of her breast. The move, at odds with the ferocity she sensed hidden within him, was gentle yet possessive. Her skin tingled at his touch and she wanted more of the sensation. She inhaled and arched toward him, pushing against him to get closer. Tunneling her fingers through his long hair, she kept his mouth to hers, his taste more carnal than any man she’d ever had. He swept his tongue inside, eliciting a sensual dance with hers. She breathed in, drawing in his aroma. His smell was wild, exotic and all man. Another scent, something she couldn’t identify, lay just below the surface.

He deserted her mouth then, leaving her lips full and pouty, to travel his tongue between her breasts, then over the top of each one. Answering her silent plea, he took her nipple and pressed his tongue against her bud’s tender skin. He slid his hand between her legs, opening her, and she complied, unable to refuse him anything. Lifting her legs, she rubbed them against the taut muscles in his thighs as the hardness of him pushed against her.

Every part of her body came alive, her nerve endings sensitized to the feel of his skin against hers, his mouth touching the most intimate parts of her. She closed her eyes to heighten her other senses, taking in the heady scent their bodies made, the sounds they shared. Running her hands along his sides, she sighed with yearning. He was stone-like, an iron man.

He groaned, then moved farther down to tease her belly button. She giggled, then inhaled sharply when he found his way to the crease between her torso and leg. Lifting her bottom with one hand, he stroked her, murmuring words she couldn’t understand. Yet he made the meaning of his words clear with his every move. He glanced up and shot her a look that melted her deep within her core. She studied his expression and wondered again at the bits of amber in his eyes.

He gently pushed her legs, urging her to bend her knees and give him what he wanted. Her heels pressed against his broad shoulders, bringing her legs up and opening more of her to his command. The moan that spilled from him flowed over her folds, warming her with hot shivers that coursed through her. She reached out, her fingers slipping through his hair to fall helplessly to the sleeping bag. Gripping the bag, she held on, preparing for what would happen next.

The moment his mouth found her she gasped. But her gasp soon changed to mews of lust as he drew her in, his teeth and tongue playing with her tender clit. Conan skimmed his tongue up and down the side of her, circling her, drinking from her. He continued exploring her even as she thrashed against the exquisite anguish. The whirlwind inside her grew, swirling into monster proportions until, at last, an orgasm sent her flying. She cried out, not caring if Nina and Billy heard her.

She wanted Conan and didn’t care if he thought her easy or cheap. If she could have no other nights with him, she’d make this one last. Her body trembled under his attention, wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure rolling through her. She cried out again, this time more restrained but still filled with delight, fulfillment and wonder. He had her completely at his mercy.

“Please.”

Chloe wasn’t sure what she begged for, but she knew this was the one man who could give her what she needed. In the second after she’d uttered her plea, she wished she could take it back. Instead of answering her, he let her go, stopping the delicious torture.

“No,” she whined. Why had she said anything?

She met his strange eyes, searching them, and reached for him. Gliding her legs down his sides, she took him by the arms to draw him upward. Confusion etched lines in his brow, but she made her intentions clear by bringing his lips to hers and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Impossibly, his eyes grew lighter, more yellow. When he growled, her heart thundered against her chest, alarm threatening to replace her lust.

How could he sound so much like the bear? She held her breath, neither one of them moving. Had she made a mistake allowing him into her tent?

She opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the chance was driven away as he curved his palm to fit her cheek. His touch, soft and tender, said more than words ever could.

Her face went pale at his growl, ripping at Conan’s heart. He struggled, hoping to find the right words to calm her, and failed. Instead, he cupped her cheek and searched her wide eyes, sending every ounce of comfort into his gesture.

She relaxed, color spreading back into her face, her breath releasing in a small
huhh
of air. She turned her face, cradling her cheek against his palm, and he almost climaxed. The movement, insignificant though it seemed, threw him, blanketing his mind with overwhelming and unfamiliar sensations. Raw emotion flooded him, drowning him until he struggled to breathe.

Conan paused, instinct telling him to be careful. Not just for his sake, but for hers. To frighten her away would mean losing a precious gift.

Nonetheless, his breathing quickened and the adrenaline of yearning surged through his body again. He took in her unique scent and shuddered, both from excitement and trepidation. She wrapped her arms around him, cocooning him.

“Please.”

Her plea broke the spell. He zeroed in on her lips, slightly parted, welcoming his. Groaning, he slid his hand to the back of her neck. Holding back the urgency to crush his mouth to hers, he traced his tongue over her lips. Suddenly, he thrust his tongue through her parted lips, moaning with the first taste of her. Her flavor mixed with her aroma, sweeping his senses to heightened awareness. The kiss deepened, then lingered. At last he broke away and stared at her, wishing he could read her mind. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here in his grasp, in his hold.

The desire to lie between her legs, to have her welcome him inside her, overtook him. Skimming his hand down her body, he enjoyed the smooth texture of her skin, the slope of each curve until at last he found the rise of her pussy. He kissed her again and she mewed, the hum of it echoing from her mouth into his. She pressed her breasts against his chest.

He shuddered again, then pushed her folds apart and drove a finger into her. She was tight, tighter than anyone he’d ever had, as though she’d waited for him. He doubted she was a virgin, but he didn’t care. Whoever had come before him meant nothing. Now she was his.

Plunging another finger inside her, he laid his body closer to her hers, keeping his full weight off her by resting on one arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck, mimicking the hold her legs had on his body, then rocked against him. She whimpered, the need in her voice egging him on. Palming her clit, he moved in circles, first large, gentle ones, then smaller, harder ones. Her eyes closed and she bit her lip, her body readying. He gritted his teeth, holding back his release.

He was close to the edge, faster than ever before. He gritted his teeth, determined to feel, to savor more of her before losing himself.

Once more, he slid lower and pushed her legs apart. Her kiss had tasted wonderful, but he had to try her other flavors again. She tensed again but didn’t resist him when he put his mouth to her nub and sucked. He licked up and down, circling as his fingers had, and held her legs. She bucked, not to get away, but in uncontrollable jerks of desire. Increasing his speed, he licked her, then sucked, drinking her womanly juices.

Her tension rose higher, and he slipped a hand under her bottom to massage the crevice between her butt cheeks. She moaned, long and low, and fondled her breasts. He added a finger to her pussy while keeping his tongue on her hot button of flesh. She lifted to him, giving him room to explore both sides of her. She came again, reaching for him as she cried out.

Rising, he kissed a trail over the soft mound of her stomach, tracing a path along her belly button until he found his way to her breasts. She held him and tugged on his hair to keep him where he was. Palming one breast while nibbling at the other, he lavished attention on first one, then the other. She wrapped her legs around his waist again, and his hard shaft found her heat.