Lure of the Blood by Doris O'Connor Page A

of
liquid heat danced across her skin, the sensation so intense, she moaned and
writhed in her sleep, as molten lava concentrated between her thighs, where
delicious friction built to fever pitch.  Heat surrounded her, held her
captive; her senses became filled with the smell of earth and spice, familiar
yet new. It made her feel safe, desired, cherished, aroused. Her eyes flew open
at the unexpected pressure between her legs, the sensation of being filled and
stretched, the male growl in her ear sending shivers of awareness down her
spine, as she felt herself lifted.
    “That’s it, little one, just let yourself
feel.”
    Ion’s tongue invaded her ear, his calloused
hands creating more delicious friction as he lifted her hair off her neck
before kneading her breasts, his tongue creating a trail of heat along her neck
and down her spine. All the while Ion grew bigger inside her, his breath hot
and erratic on her bare skin, his voice murmuring nonsense against her back.
    “So tight, so hot, move for me, feel what you
do to me…yes, just like that…on your knees, little one…”
    The band of muscle around her waist held her
steady as she responded to his whispered commands and his gentle thrusts grew
more urgent. On her hands and knees, held into his hard body, she moved
instinctively as he thrust into her, every movement bringing him deeper into
her core. Beads of sweat broke out all over her body and she locked her arms to
give herself more leverage, seeking more of him as the fever built inside, her
internal muscles clenching and releasing in ever-increasing spasms as the
pleasure build to the point of pain. His low growl of release in her ear, as
his first orgasm hit, sent her over the edge and she began riding him as hard
she could. Gripped on the edge of pain and pleasure, he grew bigger still
inside her. Helpless to do anything but ride the storm as waves of sensation
broke over her, Marnie screamed her release into the pillow as her legs gave
way.
    Ion collapsed on her, growling his own
surrender into her shoulder. She shivered all over when his claws sliced
through the pillow under her head. He thrust into her one last time, driving
them both to the top of the bed with the force of his release.
    Completely spent and deliciously sore, she was
dimly aware of Ion rolling off her. Ion turned her over and, settling her into
the crook of his arm, pulled the covers over them both. Exhaustion claimed her
and she let herself be lulled to sleep by the warmth of his body.
    When Marnie next woke up fully, it was to the
low murmur of voices outside the bedroom door. She instinctively pulled the
covers up to her shoulders. Brilliant sunlight streamed into the room through
the open French doors, illuminating a scene of devastation.  The remains of her
tattered dress lay by the bedroom door, close to her abandoned bra and her torn
thong, which dangled precariously off the end of the bed.  Feathers were
everywhere. Marnie blushed furiously at the tattered cushion, carelessly thrown
on the floor near the head of the huge bed.
    The bedcovers, too, showed claw marks. Marnie’s
blush deepened as she recalled her enthusiastic response to Ion’s demands of
the previous night. She had lost count how many times she had woken up to find him
making love to her, his stamina seemingly never ending, his control slipping a
little more every time, as his wolf took over. Yet he hadn’t hurt her once. A
cautious visual inspection of her naked body under the covers showed nothing
more sinister than whisker burn on her breasts and between her thighs. Heat
flooded through her, recalling how she had received those markings, and she
rubbed her thighs together, relishing the delicious soreness. It was just as
well Ion was still talking to someone outside the door, or she might have just
jumped him in broad daylight.
    No sooner had she thought that, than the man
himself appeared through the open door, balancing a tray of food in one hand.
Closing