He pulled his gaze from hers and undressed all the way before marching into the frigid water. What seemed like an eternity later, he said, “You have no idea what you’re asking.”

“Actually I’m pretty sure I do, but please enlighten me, oh great one.” He dipped his head under the water, letting his hair out of the tie. It spilled in wet, thick layers around his shoulders. Cassie nearly whimpered, wanting so badly to touch the thick mass again.

“I hurt you before. I’ve never been a gentle lover, Cassie. You were a virgin. You didn’t deserve how I took you. Especially since I started to take you while we both were sleeping. That was even more dangerous.”

She scowled and crossed her arms. “First, you didn’t hurt me. Second, I think you took me just fine considering I’ve never come so hard in my life.” He rinsed himself off, trudging back to her. She took an instinctive step back from the lykaen giant. When he didn’t immediately start pulling back on his clothes, she took that as a good sign.

Her eyes couldn’t help themselves as they traveled down over his hard chest. The sight of his cock had her eyes widening.

“You want me,” she whispered.

He sighed. “Of course I do. You’re beautiful. Stunning. But that doesn’t mean I have any right to your body.”

“I say what goes on with my body, and I’m saying I want you. What the fuck,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air. “What did you mean by all that talk of finding me at the right time and taking care of me? No offense but if your way of doing that is to ‘hang out’ with me on occasion and never touch me, then no thanks. I’ll just be going.”

She spun on her toes and started towards the cabin. What was wrong with this man? Or was it her? She’d never been in a relationship before. Unless you counted what her and Daniel were as a relationship—she shivered in disgust, surely not.

She was halfway to the house when suddenly something hit her shoulder, sent her spinning around.

“You hit me,” she said accusingly. Darien crowded her, backing her up until her back met with tree. His gaze bore into hers.

“You have a decision to make, lumara. If you want me then say so now because there is no turning back. I don’t date, Cassie. I don’t have casual sex. When I want something I get it, and I keep it. I’m a possessive son of a bitch like that. If you really want to be my woman, say so right here and right now because I won’t give you another chance.”

Of all the things she could say, were the right things to say, and the wrong things to say, she made a choice she could never undo. Every worry over her future faded so easily. She knew deep inside what she wanted.

She opened her mouth, but he stopped her. “Be sure, Cassie. There is no turning back, no matter what your decision is.”

She nodded, meeting his beautiful brown eyes. “Yes.”

His mouth came down as she was still saying the word and stole the breath from her.

This kiss definitely counted.

His lips commanded her, possessed her, and had her clinging by his tongue like a lifeline. She was wrapped up in sensation, in a dizzy motion whirring around in her head. He pulled back too soon. Her lips searched for his.

He turned her away, taking her hands and settling them above her head.

“Don’t move,” he warned. She didn’t. She couldn’t. She was shivering, waiting for him to touch her, to take her. Her nails bit into wood and she arched her hips back at him.

“Darien.”

The first touch seemed to come a millennium later. The anticipation of it sent pleasure zinging through her body from her nipples to her core then all the way out to her toes. His hands cupped her ass cheeks. Gripped them, learned her, squeezing then spreading her wide. She gasped at his touch, never had she felt anything like this, his touch was possessive. Like he owned her. And he did.

His thumbs slid into the crevice of her cheeks and stroked her flesh, rubbing closer and closer to her wet center. She whimpered as his hand dipped down then she was being filled with his fingers. She was so wet she knew she was coating him. He growled and she heard the beast riding him hard.

His fingers pulled out and then she felt the hard, wide press of his cock. Crying out, she gripped the tree for support and waited as he pushed the head of himself into her. Her pussy closed around him, gripping his wide girth.

“You’re mine, Cassie.”

Yes, yes! She realized she couldn’t talk so she nodded furiously. His hands trailed up her body, reached across her front, and grabbed hold of her breasts. She’d never had much in the way of breasts, but the way he touched her made her feel womanly and sexy as hell.

He tightened his scratchy palms over her, then thrust hard inside. He landed deep but just stayed there as his fingers moved to capture her nipples. He rubbed them, circled them softly, then tugged on the turgid peaks. Slowly, he dragged his cock back out of her. Where was the rough sex he kept going on and on about? That she could take, this was driving her mad. She let out a long, husky moan as he squeezed his entire length back into her to the hilt.

He made an approving sound. “So wet, soft and tight. You’re so beautiful. Presenting your luscious backside like some virgin temptress.” He moved, then she felt his heat at her back, his voice near her ear. “Get used to my cock, Cassie, because when you’re ready I’m going to take you hard.” He punctuated his words by a sudden thrust that slapped his hips against her ass and made her cry out.

Oh, she wanted more of that. Now. He hit something in her, some button that only he seemed to reach, and each time it sent her spinning into a world of pure pleasure.

“Take me,” she whispered raggedly. He growled behind her, then several things happened at once. His hand swept the hair at her neck to the side then his cock started fucking through her tight muscles as he bit down at the back of her neck. His teeth sank into her neck and shoulder muscle on a growl, and she cried out blissfully.

He’s marking me. For the whole world to see, he was leaving his mark on her.

He kept her from falling into the tree by holding her breasts like handles. Then he was hammering into her, stretching her, and filling her again and again.

Sexy sounds graced her ears. His hips slapping her ass, his ragged breathing in her ear, and then her own moans that she couldn’t stop.

Finally he tore his mouth away from her shoulder. She was so close. The pleasure was so intense it tormented her. She struggled to breathe while her heart threatened to explode in her chest. She felt the blooming heat spread across her chest, up her neck, then across her face and knew she was close.

“Let me feel it. Come for me, Cassie.”

Her head fell back as all-consuming pleasure swallowed her up. She screamed his name to the sky as her body burned red-hot in an explosion that blinded her. She didn’t have time to come down from it, because he was turning her, pushing her back up against the tree.

She barely managed to open her eyes to ask why he stopped, because he palmed her breast with a hand and started stroking his cock with the other.

He groaned a sound that wasn’t human, and then started coming in long, hot white spurts. It splashed onto her breasts, her stomach, her nipples. He kept stroking as more hot, thick seed landed against her belly button.

Finally he slowed his strokes to a passing caress. Leaning forward, he kissed her for a long time. He cupped her head and for the first time in her life she wondered if this was what love felt like. This feeling he created inside her was new and different from anything she’d ever experienced before. He made her feel protected, cared for, and wanted all at the same time. Was this love?

He pulled back and looked down at what he did on her chest. She looked at it too and couldn’t help but ask, “Not that it wasn’t sexy, but what was that for?”