I look at Hayden and the sadness I see on her face hurts me. I move my fingers over her cheeks, trying to wipe the tears and stop them from falling.

"Don't cry, Beauty," I softly tell her, bending down to kiss the tears away.

"Michael, you need to leave me alone," she responds.

"Do you like my touch, Hayden? Do you like my kisses?" I question, needing to hear her admit it. I've not let my guard down around a woman since the explosion. Hayden makes me want to, and I'm tired of fighting her pull. What's the harm in enjoying her? Maybe she can stop some of this loneliness inside of me that seems to torment me with every breath. Some days I fear it might completely take me over. I wanted it to until Hayden tempted me. Until she gave me purpose.

"Too much, but I shouldn't," she answers, her eyes still closed.

"I like that you want my touch," I assure her. I don't add that she doesn't seem to let the scars bother her either. Of course, she hasn’t really seen them; not fully. She's seen glimpses of the ones on my neck and arms. I couldn't keep the ones on my face and hands from her, but they don't seem to disturb her.

"You need to leave," she says, weakly pushing me away. She doesn't want me to go. Everything about her in this moment tells me she wants more of what I'm giving her. Is it fear? Is she afraid of what will happen if she lets herself go with me?

“Turn around and look in the mirror,” I order her, already moving her body so she does that exact thing. I move my hand over the condensation on the mirror, revealing us together. It’s a full-length mirror, but I only clear off the top half. Wanting her to see her face and mine together. We look wrong.

Her light to my dark.

My ink to her soft flesh.

My scars to her almost virginal appearance.

She might be pregnant, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize she’s not the normal type of girl I’ve dealt with. Everything about her, other than Blade having touched her, screams differently.

“I shouldn’t touch you. You should be scared of me,” I say the words aloud, though they’re more just my thoughts at the moment. I drop a kiss on her shoulder, the part where it meets the bend of her neck. It calls to me and I can’t stop my tongue from running over it. I feel the shudder that rocks her body as I look up to watch her eyes. They’re glued to mine through the mirror. The gray color in them is almost silver in this light and desire shines in them.

“I’m not scared of you,” she whispers, a pale pink blush spreading over her face.

“You should be. There’s a reason they call me Beast,” I warn her, as my hand moves to her breast, palming her tit, squeezing it gently. “A reason they compare me to an animal,” I continue, regretfully letting go of her breast to let my fingers trail along her sides. I kiss against the inside of her neck, tasting her skin. My cock is pulsating like a beating drum. I can feel my balls tighten with cum. I want inside her more than I can remember ever wanting in a woman before. I could scream, because I know that’s not happening right now. I need to make Hayden comfortable with losing herself with me—which should be what I concentrate on, instead of warning her away. How the hell I’ve developed a conscious with the one woman I’ve wanted in years, is beyond me.

“I’ve known animals, Michael. You’re not even close,” she answers, her hands moving to mine on each of her hips. I love the feel of her hands enclosing around mine. Does she think to stop me from moving lower? Probably, but I won’t.

“But you don’t know me, Hayden. Not really,” I caution her yet again, my hand pushing from hers and curving behind to her ass, loving how the cheeks overfill my hands. I want to groan at the feel of them. I can’t stop myself from pushing into her and letting the hard ridge of my cock press against her. “Fuck, you feel amazing," I grunt, thrusting against her while I hold her in place.

“Michael,” she whimpers, and the sound of her voice makes me search out her face in the mirror again, and that’s when I see it. I knew it was there, that’s what I need to get rid of…fear.

“Shh…” I try and calm her.

“I don’t think I’m ready to—”

“We’re not going to… do anything,” I tell her, barely stopping myself from saying fuck. Hayden deserves the girly words that women love. I just don’t have them to give. I did warn her I’m an animal. “I’m just going to give you a small ride. I want to make you feel good,” I reassure her, thinking I may need a medal for denying myself.

“But the baby, I don’t know,” she stops talking, but I understand what she’s saying.

“I will never do anything to put Maggie in danger, Hayden. Trust me,” I tell her, my eyes glued to the mirror, never leaving her reflection. I stop all movement holding my finger along the elastic of her panties, that’s risen just above the swell of her ass—waiting.

“I do,” she answers, and those two words are exactly what I needed to hear.

I pull the elastic tighter, knowing it will cause friction against the most sensitive part of her. Her gasp in surprise makes me smile. I let my fingers reach under her, following the path of the red lace until my fingers touch her pussy. I bring my other hand back to her breast, squeezing it, and this time it is my body that shudders with need. Her pussy is so hot and wet it could bring a man to his knees. I could sink balls deep inside of her in one slow easy glide.

"Oh God," she pants, the second I touch her.

"Reach up behind you and put your hands up around my neck," I order her, wanting her hands on me at least—anyway I can get them. She brings them up and another tremor of need runs through me just by feeling her fingers touch the side of my neck. It's not a normal touch, her fingers curl in the hair of my beard, then move down to my neck, and stroke against it. I wasn't expecting that. I thought she would hold her hands behind my neck, interlocking them. Not actually caress my skin. The same skin that's scarred. She doesn't seem repulsed. If the way her eye lids are half closed and the sound of her erratic breathing are any indication, she's moments from coming. Coming by my hand. Suddenly, I need that. I want to give her pure bliss. I want to tease her body until she loses herself in the pleasure I create.

I push her panties to the side so that the fabric doesn't block her soaked little cunt from me. At first, I do nothing more than hold my hand against her warm heat. A firm hold, one of ownership and God help us both, I want to own her body. I will own it.

"So wet for me," I murmur, against her shoulder. "My Beauty needs me to make her come."

"Michael," she cries quietly, but it's a cry full of need, with just a mixture of fear blended in.

I let my fingers slide between the swollen lips of her pussy. The feel of her heated flesh against my fingers is like liquid torment. I should take this slow, but I wish with everything inside of me that it was my face between her legs right now, eating her out until she couldn't recall her own name. Soon. Soon it will happen. I make that promise to myself even as I let my fingers move against her pussy and seek out the swollen nub which literally drums against my fingers. Her clit is swollen and thumping against my touch. I push against it, applying harsh pressure. It gives in as her body jumps at the sensation. At the same time, my other hand has pushed her bra up, releasing her breasts to me. I squeeze her bare tit in my hand, kneading it over and over slowly. My other fingers move around her clit in a tantalizing circle. I don't go fast, I don't want to speed this up. This, with Hayden, this moment needs to be prolonged—savored.

"You feel so good, Hayden. So hot, sticky, and sweet against my fingers," I murmur, nibbling against the inside of her neck, then moving down to place tender bites on her shoulder. My teeth rake against the skin at the same time I capture her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, pinching and pulling the hardening bud.

Her cry is like music to my ears, and in reward I increase the friction I'm giving her sweet clit, rubbing across it and then back again, faster, though still not fast enough.

"You’re so wet you’re drowning my fingers. It feels so fucking good I wish it was my face. Someday soon, sweet Beauty, you are going to ride my face, and I'm going to drink up every last drop of you," I promise her.

“Michael…I’m…Oh God, I think I’m close,” she sobs, her hips undulating, her ass pushing against me.

I could come in my pants like this. I could come like a fucking school boy. My hold on her breast tightens, as I torture her nipple. My persistent fingers move on her clit faster, their pressure increasing as she tightens her thighs on my hand, trying to ride it. Her ass punishes my cock, those plush, ripe cheeks pushing, grinding against it, while her head falls back against my chest and her fingers bite into my neck.

“I’m going to…Oh fuck! I’m going to come, baby,” she cries. She goes completely still for half a second, and then her climax rakes through her body like the force of a hurricane. Her cry rings out, her body shakes, her nails biting into me as her legs threaten to give out. I hold her and continue to manipulate her pussy, gradually slowing down until she rides out the orgasm.

Her head is still thrown back, but eventually her breathing calms and she stops trembling. I haven’t pulled my hand away. Jesus, if I could keep my fingers in her pussy all the time I would. It’s that fucking good. Her nails have sunk into the skin on my neck.

When I look into the mirror I’m not surprised to see a small trace of blood mar what little skin is exposed. Her hold has little shards of pain hitting me and I love it. I watch the mirror as bit by bit her eyes open revealing their silver color dilated and beautiful. It’s only then I can make myself take my fingers from her pussy. She gasps and pulls up straighter to look at me, and I can see embarrassment start to cool her desire. I bring the fingers to my mouth, and I hold her stare as I lick them clean. I lick them, with the sound of her calling me baby still ringing in my ears. Her taste is indescribable, but one taste and I’m addicted. One taste, and I know I’m going to need more of it.

One taste and I know it will be something I crave until my last breath.