Untamed Vol. 1 (Untamed #1) (2 page)

A few long
moments passed, then he dismissed me with a soft huff and turned towards the
door.

CHAPTER
TWO

 
“Stop or I’m calling the police!” I had
no idea where the bravado in my voice came from, since I was about two seconds
away from pissing myself. I didn’t even know why I’d stopped him. But I knew in
my gut that if he walked out now, I’d never see him again. “What are you doing
here?”

The intruder
stopped mid-step and turned back to me, the waves of hair falling over his face
failing to hide his dark expression.

My stomach
trembled from fear, but also from something else, from an inexplicable reaction
to his masculinity. God help me, but I wanted to tangle my fingers through the
short, curly hair on his chest, run my hands down the chiseled planes of his
stomach. It was ludicrous and so unlike me that a soft laugh escaped my lips.

One dark eyebrow
rose in curiosity. He took a step towards me.

“Stay right
there. I’m warning you,” I said, stumbling behind the couch and holding up the
knife.

But either he
didn’t understand or didn’t care. He prowled closer, his gait unhurried but
deliberate, his eyes never leaving my face.

I stood my ground
even though my knees were knocking together. “Don’t,” I said, adrenaline
coursing through my veins. “Don’t come any closer.”

He stopped an
inch away from the point of the blade, his eyes fixed on mine. And holy hell
was he stunning up close. He had nearly-translucent hazel eyes, a narrow ridge
of a nose, and beautifully shaped lips framed by his dark beard. But it was the
way he looked at me, with a heady mixture of disbelief and
lust,
that
had me tingling all over.

Before I knew
what was happening, he put a large hand on the blade of the knife and twisted
it out of my death grip before tossing it onto the couch. I marveled at the
easy way he had disarmed me —both physically and emotionally—before
it finally occurred to me that he had taken away my only form of defense.
 

My instinct to
not die finally kicked in and I spun away and ran, managing to jump over the
curled edge of the rug in time. He took off after me, his footsteps nearly
silent while mine thudded around the room as I dodged around furniture.

He caught me at
the edge of the room and spun my back to the wall, fingers clasped around my
arms. He was breathing hard, chest rising and falling rapidly as he glowered
down at me.

I couldn’t
breathe, couldn’t make my limbs move, not even when he took a step closer and
pinned me against the wall with his warm body. Without warning, he lowered his
head to my neck and took in a deep breath.

Holy shit, he’s scenting me.

I pressed myself
into the wall to keep from dissolving at his feet.

He pulled away,
his pupils large and dark as he lifted his hand to my hair and pulled away the
clip, sending brown hair tumbling down around my shoulders. His touch was soft
and exploratory as he studied the long strands between his fingers, lifting it
up to his nose briefly before gently brushing it away from my face.

He let out a
breath then cradled my face in his calloused hands, studying me, learning me,
before his palms slid down the sides of my neck and over my shoulders.

I swallowed hard,
barely breathing, as his fingers stole under the collar of my robe and slid the
silk off my shoulders.

That was about
the time I came to myself and realized I was heading to the point of no return.
Was I really going to let this stranger—this criminal—touch me so
intimately?

I pushed him away
and grabbed the lapels of my robe, holding the silk tight over my chest. “Don’t
you dare—
”

With an imploring
look, he pressed a finger up to my lips to silence me then floated his hands
down to my chest, taking gentle hold of me. I tried to resist but he shook his
head and pulled at my wrists, the robe slipping down to reveal the thin white
shirt that did absolutely nothing to hide my nipples.

His gaze dropped
down to the expanse of skin above the scoop neck of the shirt, then slid lower
still. His nostrils flared as he reached up and pressed a warm palm against my
breast.

I gasped as bolts
of lightning went straight to my core. Misunderstanding, he pulled away. His
eyes found mine again, reflecting the shock I was feeling, and swallowed hard.

I didn’t know
what was happening, why the rational part of my brain was suddenly on hiatus,
but I found myself guiding his large hand back onto my chest. He didn’t waste
time; he took hold of my breasts in his hands, massaging them, lifting and
letting them drop, mesmerized by their shape and feel. Through the thin cotton,
he flicked at my nipples as they hardened and pinched them between his fingers,
ripping a moan from my throat.

He stopped,
concern creasing his forehead.

“Do it again,” I
managed to say.

He let out a huff
and took hold of the shirt, ripping it clean down the center.

My heart
thundered so hard in my chest I was sure he could see it. Never in my life had
I been more terrified and aroused, as if the two emotions were feeding off each
other. I had no clue what he would do next and the unknown made me reckless,
excited.

I took hold of
his wrists and brought his hands back up to my chest, showing him how I liked
to be touched, then slid them down my stomach. His eyes grew wide when I
pressed his palm to my heat, his fingers making contact with the wet fabric of
my panties.

Wriggling his
fingers, he moved closer and bent his head. With his nose against my neck, he
inhaled my scent again and let out a raspy moan. His fingers ventured under the
seam of my panties, searching for the source of heat.

“Yes, like that.”
I whimpered helplessly when a long finger slid along my slick folds and found
my entrance. I gripped his shoulder and sank onto his hand, aching to feel
more.

He slid another
finger inside and my knees about buckled. He quirked an eyebrow when I began to
grind into the heel of his hand, my breath coming out in shallow gusts. It was
shameless and went against everything I was, but I was beyond caring at that
point. I squeezed around his fingers, searching for relief. He was a quick
study, figuring out what brought me pleasure, quickly bringing me to the point
of no return.

I dug my fingers
into his shoulders and arched my back against the wall as the climax thundered
through my body, lighting me up from the inside. I squeezed my eyes shut, my
legs threatening to buckle, and rode out the shocks of pleasure coursing
through my body.

When I recovered,
I found him watching me with shock and curiosity, lips parted slightly, fingers
still milking the last of my orgasm.

Completely lost
in the moment, I slid down to my knees and began to undo his zipper, taking
hold of the waistband of his pants and sliding it down his hips. His cock
sprang free, thick and long, jutting up from a thatch of dark hair. The skin
between his brows knotted as he wrapped his long fingers around his erection
almost possessively.

With gentle
movements, I leaned forward and touched my lips to the head of his shaft, my
tongue flicking out to taste the salty moisture at the tip. He jerked back, his
eyes wide with shock.

“You don’t want
me to do that?” I asked.

His eyes flashed
in recognition and, after a moment’s pause, he thrust his hip forward, guiding
his cock to my mouth with a groan. When I wrapped my lips around him, his hips
jerked involuntarily, sending his shaft deep into my eager mouth. Taken by
surprise, he took hold of my head and did it again, pushing in hard and deep.
Over and over he thrust, and I let him, enjoying his unbridled joy, intrigued
by the strange notion that nobody had ever done this for him before.

At this point, I
no longer knew if I was awake or dreaming, and I no longer cared. I had this
stranger in my mouth, his balls slapping me on the chin, and for once I wasn’t
thinking about my life back in Atlanta. I was completely lost in the moment,
enjoying the act of giving pleasure.

All of a sudden
he pulled away and dropped to his knees before me, taking my face in his hands
before flattening his lips to mine. He kissed me without guile or pretense,
groaning as he devoured me. He was greedy, taking from me like a man deprived
of physical intimacy, and I gave freely, poured into him all that was left of
me. It wasn’t much, but this stranger touched me as if I was the most
captivating woman in the world.

He pulled away,
breathing hard, his expression raw and clear. I tipped my head in assent and
then he was turning me around, pushing me down until I was on all fours, my ass
up in the air.

I jumped when he
ripped my panties away. “This could get expensive,” I muttered.

He let out a soft
chuckle, then his rough hands landed on me, mapping the curves of my back,
waist, ass. A moment later, the head of his shaft nudged at my entrance.

Sensing his
hesitation, I peered over my shoulder. Our gazes locked, and though he hadn’t
said a word this entire exchange, I felt understanding passing between us, a
contract of trust and desire.

His lips fell
open when I backed into him and his cock slipped partly inside. Then his eyes
flashed and he gripped my hips and plunged in.

“Oh.” The breath
rushed out of me at the exquisite invasion. He was so thick and warm that my
inner walls took a moment to adjust around him. When I clenched, he jumped, so
I did it again, squeezing him harder until he emitted a noise of pleasure and
pain.

Vaguely, the idea
of a condom passed through my thoughts, but I was too far gone to care.

He started off
with shallow thrusts and quickly found his instinctual rhythm, withdrawing
almost all the way and just as quickly slamming back in. The momentum built,
his thrusts becoming more savage so that I jolted forward with each drive. My
insides lit up with every stroke, making me wetter, winding me tighter.

Then he wrapped
my hair around his hand and pulled hard, making my back arch as he drove into
me faster. He was losing control, his movements erratic, his breathing loud and
desperate.

I was breaking so
many of my own rules—me, who had never even entertained the idea of a
one-night stand—yet the risky nature of it all drove me wilder,
heightened every sensation by a million.

It was, without a
doubt, the most erotic moment of my life.

“Yes, like that,
yes, oh! Right there.” The words tumbled out of my mouth and then I was
screaming, breaking apart at the seams. My insides quaked, my orgasm going on
and on as he continued pounding into me. Then he unleashed a guttural cry and
shoved inside one last time, his hold on my hips almost painful as he climaxed.

CHAPTER
THREE

He bent down,
wrapping his big body over me, pressing his sweat-slick chest to my back. I
could feel his heart thudding, could smell the sex in the air around us. It was
dizzying and surreal and, again, I wondered if this was all a dream.

Unexpectedly he
pulled away and, a second later, he pulled me up and slung me over his
shoulder, carrying me across the cabin as if I weighed nothing at all. With one
bare foot he kicked open the bedroom door and set me down on the bed then, with
a huff, he wrapped an arm around my back and heaved me higher up the mattress.
I tried to sit up but he only took hold of my wrists and pushed me back down,
holding my arms above my head.

I didn’t have
time to think or say anything; he moved over me in the next instant, the
moonlight illuminating the hungry glint in his eyes.

“Again?” I asked,
glancing down at his hardening cock still glistening from my wetness.

He nipped at my
neck and flashed me a grin full of promise. I wanted to brush the hair away
from his face, to look into his eyes in search of anything familiar, a rational
explanation why I felt compelled to say yes, why my hips lifted up in
invitation, why my body shuddered with delight when he once again slid home.

Home.

This man was a
stranger to me, just as I was to him, yet somehow our bodies recognized each
other. Was there something more at work here or were we just two horny
strangers needing some relief?

I silenced my brain,
focusing instead on the way my body reacted to his every touch, how my nerves
sang as he drove into me with reckless abandon. His eyes never left my face and
I held nothing back, allowing the pleasure to shape and color my features. I no
longer cared if my O-face made me look like I was in agony, or if the sounds
coming out of me were not at all ladylike. All of my insecurities fell away as
he pulled my legs further apart and dug in
deeper,
grinding his hips so hard my head was hitting the headboard.

The orgasm came
swiftly, taking me by surprise. I dug my nails into the firm flesh of his ass
and threw my head back, keening as wave after wave of pleasure battered me into
delirium.

My insides were
still convulsing when his large body bowed over me and he growled through his
own release. He never looked away, his face taut and fierce as he stared me
down. When he was spent, he collapsed on top of me, his heart thudding against
mine, his breathing ragged against my ear.

A few moments
later he rolled off me and onto his side, keeping me in the circle of his arms.
He stared at me, mystified, as if I was some math problem he couldn’t solve. He
touched my cheeks and with one finger traced the outline of my jaw to my chin,
then along my lips. I bit at the fleshy part of his hand and he pulled away
with a playful grumble.

“What’s your
name?” I asked. When he didn’t reply, I huffed. “Okay, then, are you the
mysterious man of the forest? The one who breaks into people’s homes then
disappears again?”

Again nothing.

I let out an
exasperated breath. “Come on. You have to give me something, anything. We just
had sex twice. I think that’s earned me some small measure of trust, right?”

I stilled when
his soft lips parted and he uttered something that sounded like
Beauty
, his voice deep and thick and a
little rough from disuse.

“What? Your
name’s Beauty?” I asked, not entirely sure I hadn’t just imagined it.

He shook his
head, pressing the pad of his thumb to my lower lip. He cleared his throat.
“You’re… beautiful.”

I would have
melted into the sheets if it were possible. To have this gorgeous man saying
that to me in that voice with those eyes and those lips…

I kissed him; I
had no other choice. He opened up immediately, his fingers sliding through my
hair and cradling the back of my head to deepen the connection. A mewling moan
came from somewhere down my throat, a needy, delirious sort of sound that I’d
never made before. I’d always held back a little with my past lovers, always
afraid to let go, but something about this man made me lose all sense of
decency. It was as if he naturally drew out the primal side of me, his wild
spirit calling my own.

He grinned and
bit at my lip, drawing it away before releasing it. He did it again and just
when I thought we were headed for round three, he rolled away and out of the
bed.

“You’re leaving?”
I asked, sitting up with the covers over my chest. My eyes molested his naked
body, tracing over every muscle—one large one in particular—with
appreciation. Rendered in light and shadows by the moon, he was the definition
of raw beauty, unrefined by the varnish of big city life.

Without warning,
he crawled back onto the bed and invaded my space, his face only a hair’s
breadth away from mine as he coaxed me back down. I fought to catch my breath
and get my footing, but the man was an unpredictable landscape I had no idea
how to traverse.

With the hint of
a smirk, he ripped the covers away from my chest and dipped his head, wrapping
his lips around my breast, sucking it into his mouth, testing the edge of his
teeth against my nipple. I squirmed, but he held me down while he took his time
acquainting himself with my anatomy, moving to the other breast then licking
the valley between. The whole time he pressed his nose to my skin, breathing me
in. I wasn’t sure I smelled so fresh after all that we’d done, but he didn’t
seem to mind, in fact, seemed to be aroused by it.

“Do you like my
scent?” I asked, threading my fingers through his hair as he licked down my
stomach. I let out a surprised laugh when his tongue dipped into my
bellybutton.

He stopped and
looked at me across the plane of my stomach. “Yes,” he rasped and flashed me a
predatory smile. “You smell so good.”

“You can talk!” I
blurted out. “Like, in real sentences.”

His lips
twitched. “Yes.”

“Then tell me
your name.”

He rose up on his
haunches and set his hands on his hips, his big body looming over me. “Alaric.”

“Alaric,” I
echoed, enjoying the way it slid down my tongue. “Are you the man in the
legends?”

“Legends?”

“Someone from
town told me about the legend of a wild man living in the forest.”

One eyebrow rose
up in question.

“Some people
believe you’re a ghost, or even crazier, a wolf
shapeshifter
.”

He let out a
deep, scratchy laugh and held his arms out to the side. “Well, am I?”

I blinked up at
him, unable to tear my eyes away. “I don’t know, honestly.” I sat up and
touched his wide chest, traced the ridges of his stomach, and, finally, wrapped
my hand around the hard shaft jutting up from between his legs. I stroked him
once, squeezing at the head, pleased when his jaw muscles clenched. “I think
you’re just a crazy hallucination or some sort of dream. And tomorrow I’ll wake
up and you’ll be gone.”

“That part is
true.” He took hold of my hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing the flesh
of my palms. “You won’t see me again.”

“Why not?”

He didn’t say
anything, only shook his head and backed away and off the bed.

I crawled after
him. “Why? Who are you hiding from?” I followed him out to the main living area
and watched helplessly as he slipped back into his pants. “So this is your M.O.
then: you break into a rental cabin, have sex with whoever’s inside, and just
disappear back into the woods?”

He whirled around
to me, his expression dark and dangerous. “No,” he bit out. “I’ve never even…”
He pressed his lips together and turned away.

“Never?” I
whispered. I came closer and touched his back, feeling hard muscles rippling
under his skin.

Keeping his back
to me, he said, “I haven’t touched or even talked to another person in a long
time.”

“How long?”

Finally he turned
around, his face dark with anguish. “Fifteen years.”

The words rushed
out on a breath: “I’m the first person you’ve touched in fifteen years?” It
didn’t seem possible. How could someone live their life outside society, without
any human contact, and not go crazy? Who do you talk to, laugh with?

Overcome with an
unfamiliar emotion, I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my naked body
against his chest.

He seemed to
understand what I was doing and held me closer, flattening his palms on my back
and sliding them down to cup my ass. I stood on my toes and grazed my lips
against his. His hands slid up to touch my face as the kiss went on, all lips
and tenderness and soft gasps, so different from the frenzy of our earlier
kisses.

He lifted me in
his arms and took me back to the bed, tucking me under the covers before
tangling his fingers through my hair. But just when he looked like he’d decided
to stay, he let me go with a huff and took a step back instead.

“So this is it?”
I asked, surprised to feel the tears prickling at my eyes. Why the hell was I
so emotional over a man I’d only just met? “You’re just going to disappear back
into the forest and I’ll never see you again?”

He nodded, his
expression inscrutable as he gazed down at me. Was that regret in his eyes, or
pity?

“Goodbye,” he
said before going to the sliding door and fading back into the shadows of
legends and ghost stories.