Pure Blooded (30 page)

In front of the bed, he broke our kiss, his mouth trailing down my neck and along the column of my throat. He nipped and licked me until I couldn’t take it any longer. Moaning, I rubbed myself up against him. I was too filled with need to do much more. This coupling was going to be what it had to be.

Hard and thorough.

Only after we’d had each other would we calm down and talk rationally. My mate was wound past the point of snapping, and I was right there with him. I needed his touch. My body craved it like no other. It had been long enough.

I squirmed in his arms and he growled, laying me roughly on the bed, neither of us speaking. He stepped back, yanking off his jeans, almost ripping them in his haste, his gaze locked on my mine.

I stripped off my own clothes as he moved forward. He was glorious. His power jumped out ahead of him, stinging me with its delicious currents. Once I was naked, he covered me, entering me in one hot rush.

I arched up, taking him, welcoming it, my hands fisted in his hair as I dragged his body closer. As he began a frantic rhythm, I tossed my head back, luxuriating in his fullness and the sensations of our coupling. He roared as I gripped his backside, urging him faster. His hand slid under my neck, angling me up, his mouth slanting over mine, his tongue plunging deeply, ravaging my mouth. I returned his kisses, slash for slash, rocking my pelvis in tandem with his thrusts.

Breaking the kiss, his lips seared my neck as he inched down
my chest. “Jessica”—his voice was full of anguish coupled with pleasure—“I can’t… I need—”

“
Shhh
,” I said, guiding him back to me, kissing his face, running my tongue along his beautiful stubble. “It’s okay.”

Slowing the pace, he rose on his forearms, gazing down on me. I reached up and stroked his face, murmuring loving words to him, wanting to soothe him and comfort him. My toes curled as the pleasure mounted with each thrust.

Without needing to be asked, he increased his rhythm, not breaking his gaze. “I cannot lose you.” He rocked into me hard, hitting my core. “Ever.”

“You won’t… I promise.” My voice broke on a moan.

“Come for me.” He angled himself forward, his forearms bracketing my body, his thrusts coming fast. My hands fisted in the covers as I gave in to my pleasure, crying out his name.

Before I could recover, he roared his release, his thrusts triggering blissful aftershocks. “Rourke.” I rolled my hips up, savoring the feelings. “You are… an amazing lover.”

He collapsed on top of me, both of us breathing hard. After a moment he gathered me in his arms and rolled to the side. We lay locked together like that, legs intertwined, under the covers for a long time, neither of us saying a word. His hands continually ran over my body as I burrowed as close to him as I could get.

We would talk when we were ready, but for now, all we needed was physical contact and nothing else.

“Jessica,” Rourke whispered.

“What is it?” I rose immediately on my elbow, blinking. “What’s wrong? Was I asleep?” I glanced around the room. It was pitch black. “What time is it?”

“Relax, it’s only ten.”

“Oh,” I said, my brain foggy from sleep. “That’s a relief.” I burrowed back into his warmth as I yawned. His arms braced around me, tugging me close. “I can’t believe I fell asleep. I’ve been out at least eight hours. You should’ve woken me up sooner. We have a lot to talk about.” I slung a lazy arm around his torso and snuggled deeper.

“You were too cute to wake up.” He pulled the sheet up around us. “You kept making little growling noises and gnashing your teeth. It was like watching a puppy have a nightmare.”

“Very funny,” I mumbled, smiling into his neck. “You purr like a cat when you’re out cold, so we’re even.” He laughed, whipping me effortlessly onto his chest. I leaned in to kiss him. “
Mmm
, I love the way you taste.”

His irises sparked. “You don’t taste half bad yourself.”

I nipped his bottom lip.

He groaned, angling his head up to kiss me, but he broke away too soon for my liking, so I protested with a loud growl.

“Believe me,” he said, “all I want to do is kiss you senseless, but you’re right. We have to talk first. I need to know what happened when you were with Juanita. We can’t put it off any longer.”

I sighed, resting my cheek against his broad chest. “I know. But first I have to tell you I’m sorry I worried you again. Juanita said it couldn’t be helped. I know seeing me unresponsive is hard for you.”

“Jessica, I thought I lost you again when I kicked the door down and first saw you in that state.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how many times I can see you like that and keep it together. I thought Enid had taken you. I’m pissed they threw me in the lake, but they probably did the right thing. I pushed Marcy to wake you up even though she kept telling me she couldn’t do it without hurting you. I wasn’t in my right mind.”

I caressed his cheek with a thumb. “I know this has been hard on you, but I can’t promise that something like that won’t happen again. If it helps matters at all, I like you vigilant. I love that you have my back. You’re my rock. You were right to think it might have been Enid when everyone else was complacent to believe it was Juanita. In the future, we just have to make sure we work better as a team, and we have to know when to trust the people around us. Each of us has our own skill set. Marcy has to be the one with the last word when it comes to spells. We have to believe Ray when it comes to reaper things. Moving forward, that has to be our mind-set.”

He shook his head. “I agree with you. But fear made me irrational. Marcy told me the signature was Juanita’s. She’s the professional. But I didn’t listen. I just… couldn’t. Not after everything we’ve been through recently.”

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you for being fierce,” I said, leaning down to kiss his bottom lip, lingering there for a moment. “It’s not always going to be like this. It can’t be. We won’t survive long living in constant upheaval and danger. You and I are going to just have to keep moving forward. We have no other choice. But we
will
reach the finish line. Juanita told me something while I was with her, and the way she said it felt like there would be an ending. She said I’d find peace at some point, but in order to get things back on the right track, I did have to sacrifice something, but whatever it was I could handle it.”

“Tell me everything she said.”

I recapped the meeting as best I could, leaving nothing out, including the realness of the smells and how everything affected my senses. “The last thing she told me was we needed to find Kayla’s brother, and once I did, I would find my destiny. When she said the words, they filled me with hope. I had the feeling that if I succeeded in this next mission everything would finally
come together. At least that’s how I interpreted it. I truly believe she thinks I can succeed and my death isn’t necessary. I have to as well. Being hopeless is not an option.”

“Damn right, we believe. Your death is
not
an option. I don’t care what Fate or Enid think. Juanita has been your champion since the beginning, by her own admission. She knows there’s a way around this and we are going to move in that direction. And once this is all over, the first chance I get I’m squirreling you back to the Ozarks and keeping you under lock and key for a while.”

I sighed, laying my cheek against his chest again. “That sounds like heaven.” I ran an open palm along his contours. “I fell in love with that place the first time I ever saw it.”

“I did too,” he grunted. “Kind of like the first time I set eyes on you.”

“Liar!” My head whipped off his chest. “You disliked me the first time you saw me! Don’t you dare lie. When you carried me out of that bar against my will, I was your burden—not your conquest. Admit it!”

Before I could blink, he flipped me over on my back and pinned me, wrists over my head. He was grinning, his eyes a kaleidoscope of emotion. “The very moment I saw you, I fell in love. It was instantaneous. Like nothing I’d ever experienced before.” He leaned over and nuzzled my neck. I shrieked as he deliberately grazed his stubble over my chest. He met my gaze with a wicked look. “Now, there’s a possibility I fought some of those feelings for a brief second or two but—”

“Brief!” I hooted. “You were
so
not into me. We traveled for two days before—”

“Wrong,” he interrupted, silencing me with a kiss. His lips lifted off mine as slowly and seductively as he could manage. “From the very moment I took you out of that bar, I was trying to seduce you.”

“You were not!”

“I was too. Remember our time in the swimming hole?”

“Of course I remember, how could I forget? We had to douse ourselves in sulfur water to mask our smell before we could climb up to your cabin.”

“Wrong.” His face broke out into a huge grin. “That sulfur was just a tactic because I wanted to see you dripping wet in that little white cami. And it was well worth it.” I kicked my legs out, laughing. “It clung to your delicious curves like a glove. I’ve never been so turned on in my life.”

Before I could protest, he kissed me soundly.

I lost myself in his lips, and I couldn’t really argue, because I’d wanted to see him without his clothes on just as badly. I finally broke the kiss, giggling. “You’re such a bad boy,” I scolded.

“Yes, yes, I am. And I’m planning on proving that to you again right now.” He ran his chin down the middle of my chest, abrading me all the way to my belly button.

I laughed, my hands twining in his hair. “You have until four-thirty a.m., tiger.”

“And I plan to use every single minute of it.” He winked.

I licked my lips. “I can’t wait.”

As always, I want to thank my readers, supporters, and fans. Without you, this entire ride wouldn’t be nearly as sweet. Bill, I love you. There isn’t a more supportive spouse on the planet. You roll up your shirtsleeves and do whatever needs doing. I appreciate that more than you can ever know. To Paige, my college-bound daughter, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. May the road ahead be paved with opportunity and unforgettable experiences. To my son, Nat, you are amazing and insightful. I enjoy watching you grow every day. To my daughter Jane, you make us all laugh, and I thank the stars above for it. Sweat is not the only thing you got from me. To my parents, Daryl and Koppy, I love you so much. Thanks for continuing to support me in everything I do. Kristen Painter, you are a rock star, and I’m so happy to call you a friend. Amanda Bonilla, you are my shot of caffeine. Without you, my day wouldn’t be complete.

And to Orbit and all the great people at Hachette who make this book a reality, I thank you.

Photo credit: Paige Carlson

A Minnesota girl born and bred, Amanda began writing in earnest after her second child was born. She’s addicted to Scrabble, tropical beaches, and IKEA. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.

Find out more about Amanda

at www.amandacarlson.com

or on twitter @AmandaCCarlson.