will be lovers.
Claiming her body, as he claimed her soul, dominating her and never allowing her the heady freedom she’d called life. The vision burned in her mind as his tongue tangled with hers.
And then he pulled away, his dark eyes calm while hers were wide with desire, his breathing even as hers was ragged. The kiss meant nothing.
Nothing at all. Trembling, she wiped her mouth clean of his taste, his touch. Anger burned with a cool flame. “What the hell was that about?”
“Give me a moment,” Lucien told her.
Jones had vanished. But the hunters hadn’t left.
His gaze locked on them like a laser beam. “Leave us. She’s violated no rules.”
A deep growl rumbled from one werewolf. They did not budge. Lucien squeezed his fist.
Blood streamed from the nostrils of the growling hunter. Holding his head, the shifter cursed as his partner paled. They turned and stalked off.
“Come.” Lucien took her hand. “My hotel is near.”
He escorted her to a sleek Mercedes. When they reached the beachside resort, she finally spoke. “You kissed me as a distraction.”
Lucien got out and then opened her car door with a courtly, Old World manner as a valet rushed to aid them. “I kissed you to mark you as mine. As a warning for them to keep their distance. And when that didn’t work, I applied a little more pressure.”
“I’m not yours.”
Desire smoldered in his gaze. “You will be—soon. It is our future, Mara.”
Shock left her speechless. As they entered the hotel, the doorman gave her a friendly smile and a wink. As if he knew Lucien’s intentions.
Mara growled and sent a thought stabbing into the doorman’s head. Wincing, the man pressed two fingers against his temple.
Lucien frowned and hustled her toward a bank of elevators. “No more of that, Mara. He did nothing to you.”
“What’s the big deal? You did the same to the hunter. I only gave him a splitting headache so he’d think twice about winking at me. Not that he has a brain, seeing what he does for a living.”
As they stepped into the elevator, Lucien shook his head. “Don’t judge so quickly. That doorman is named Mark, and he was a professor of economics. Mark developed a gambling problem, his wife divorced him and he took to drinking. This is only temporary.”
“Who are you, Saint Lucien? Who gives a damn about a doorman?”
The bell dinged and Lucien stepped aside to let her pass. “You did, Mara. You met Mark when he was homeless, dirty and panhandling on the street and you gave him money for a hot meal. No one else would look at him, but you. Your kindness gave him confidence to seek out help and get this job.”
Too stunned to respond, she waited as he unlocked the door to his suite. Mara followed Lucien into a living room with an L-shaped white leather sofa, a wet bar and sleek wood furnishings. Behind the living room was a bedroom with sliding glass doors looking out to a frothy turquoise ocean.
Closing the door behind him, Lucien leaned against it. “You’ll stay here, with me and out of sight.”
“Like hell I will. I’m here only until those hunters stop following me. Or I can harness enough power to break their kneecaps.”
“You will not touch them and you will not disobey me in this.”
Bristling, she told him to do something anatomically impossible. His sculpted lips twitched.
“Such a filthy mouth. You should be spanked,” he murmured.
“I dare you to try it,” she taunted.
Breath hitched in her lungs as he unbuckled his elegant black leather belt. Gucci, she noted dimly as she backed away. Light glinted off the silver buckle.
It split the air with a crackling sound as he whipped it. Lucien’s eyes gleamed with challenge.
Mara turned to run, but he caught her by the waist. “Never dare me to try anything, Mara. Now pull your pants down.”
“No way,” she squealed.
Yes. Way.
The deep voice spoke inside her mind, compelling her obedience. Horrified, she found her hands fumbling with the zipper on her jeans. They slid over her hips, down to her ankles. Lucien gave a small smile.
“White panties with little blue flowers. Quite feminine.”
Pull those down as well.
Mara struggled against the overwhelming command but hooked her fingers into the underwear and tugged them past her hips.
His jaw went taut as he studied the thatch of dark curls, the slight splay of her thighs.
Lucien hooked an arm around her waist. Captive in his powerful grip, she cursed as he sat and drew her over his knees.
The belt cracked the air again. Tensing, she waited for the bite of pain. But instead of hitting her, his long fingers stroked her bare bottom. Lucien squeezed and gently kneaded until she shivered with pleasure.
“I should spank you,” he murmured. “But I hate leaving a mark on such a beautiful ass. There are more pleasurable activities I have in mind for it.”
Cupping her ass, he gave a playful squeeze. “Such as cushioning me when I mount you from behind.”
A moan escaped her as a warm, wet tongue stroked over one rounded cheek. “Or taste your sweet flesh all over. Mmm.”
When he slid a finger into her crevice and down across the wet cleft of her core, she did cry out. “So many pleasures. I shall not spank you. I’ll savor your sweet skin later. All over.”
Oh please. Please.
Burning with embarrassment, she turned her face away. This time she knew it wasn’t his silky voice speaking inside her mind, but her own desire.
Lucien released her and she tumbled to the floor, her panties and jeans around her ankles. Mara glared at him as he rebuckled his belt.
“I’d get up if I were you,” Lucien advised. “You look quite tempting lying on the floor with your pants down.”
As she wriggled back into her clothing, he chuckled. Glaring at him, she buttoned her pants. “Mind control. Big deal. You think that sets you above my demon?”
A twinkle lit his dark eyes. “Perhaps.”
Mara’s jaw dropped as Lucien began floating toward the ceiling like a balloon. He rose until his head nearly hit the ceiling.
“I’m quite above your demon now.”
“Oh…wow,” she said weakly.
“Though
