IT CAME FROM out of nowhere. One second Joseph was listening to Larissa, his VP, explain why the hotel needed to immediately hire more housekeeping staff, and the next he was experiencing a sudden premonition of danger, danger involving Mia. He couldn’t see her, but he could feel her. She had entered the building, and she was ticked off.

Mia being upset with him wasn’t shocking. He enjoyed riling her now and then. And he was pretty damn good at finding just the right buttons to push to get a rise out of her. This time, however, it was no game. She was beyond furious. Caught up and being battered in a brutal storm of dark, tumultuous emotions, she was determined to hunt him down and, if he was reading her right, tear him to shreds. Obviously, whatever he’d done, it was far worse than a poke or a status change.

“Did you hear me, Joseph?” Larissa asked in an impatient tone as she leaned across his desk and waved her hand in front of his face. “Joseph?”

Paying no attention to Larissa, he expanded his mind and reached for Mia to examine her thoughts a little closer. “Damn it.” He couldn’t find anything but extreme rage, and there was no discernible reason for it.

“Excuse me.” Larissa scooted back in her seat.

The rage had to be caused by the morphine. Although Mia had been attempting to wean herself off it, at times she simply didn’t have a choice but to take it. Without it, the pain she suffered because of an aggressive form of bone cancer was too excruciating. Mia understood that the morphine caused her to be engulfed in bouts of uncontrollable rage, but she didn’t fully understand why. She believed it was some type of allergic reaction. Her lack of knowledge of the truth was partially his fault.

When they’d first met, she hadn’t seemed to know she was lycan. She had been orphaned at a young age and raised by humans in various foster homes and group homes, and she’d never taken the form of her wolf. At first Joseph had believed her wolf was too weak to fully manifest because of the cancer, and he’d considered bringing it up on several occasions. However, after learning of her hatred for certain immortal beings, mostly vampires, he thought perhaps it wasn’t a matter of her not knowing, but rather of her being in denial.

The denial might be helping her cope emotionally, but physically it was putting her in danger. Morphine and other narcotics were poisonous to those of lycan blood. It drastically altered their brain activity, and over time morphine would cause a lycan to go insane with murderous rage. They would kill again and again just for the pleasure of doing it.

If he was correct, right now her lycan side was incensed and completely in charge. She was a powerful, deadly predator on the hunt and a serious threat to anyone unfortunate enough to stumble between her and her prey—which just happened to be him.

“You need to leave, Larissa.”

“What?”

“You need to leave.” He needed to get her out of his office for her own protection. Handing her the staff schedules they’d been going over, he stood up. “We’re done.”

“No.” Irritation flashed in her eyes. “I’m sick and tired of trying to track you down to take care of business. I never had to chase Teresa down. Ever since you’ve been back this place is being run straight into the ground. I’m not letting you off the hook. We aren’t even close to being finished.” She waved a stack of invoices in his face. “We haven’t even started going through these yet.”

Joseph paid no attention to her protest other than to take her arm, lift her out of her chair, and say, “Later.” He didn’t have time to argue with her. “Teresa was never your boss. You were in charge. You never had to go through her for anything. And we are done when I say we are done. And for now, we are done, Larissa.” He led her to the back entrance to his office.

“We are done when you say we are done? I don’t think so. What do you think you’re doing?” The defiance in her voice let him know that getting rid of her wasn’t going to be easy. She was naturally stubborn and bold. It was why he’d chosen her to be his second in command. “I don’t need your help to walk, Joseph.” She yanked her arm out of hand and then turned and walked back over to his desk.

“I said we’re done.” Joseph was monitoring Mia as she walked past the front desk, giving no regard to the receptionist who had attempted to stop her. “You’re leaving.” Mia’s thoughts were jumbled. They didn’t make any sense at all. No matter how deeply he examined her thoughts, Joseph still couldn’t figure out what had spurred her temper. All he knew was that she was mad as hell. Using his mind, he prevented the receptionist or any other person from pursuing her or attempting to stop her. “Right now, Larissa. You need to get the hell out of here.”

Her entire body visibly stiffening, Larissa glared at him. “I know.” She took a deep breath and released it with a hiss of irritation. “I’m not deaf. I heard you.”

She was moving, but too slowly and in the wrong direction. He had to get her out of his office before Mia walked in. He caught Larissa’s shoulder to stop her.

She spun around and pointed her finger in his face. “I sure hope you don’t think that just because I’m a woman you can put your hands on me. I won’t tolerate it.”

Joseph released her immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. But you need to leave right now.”

Clearly annoyed, she shook her head and made a ‘screw you’ face at him. “Whatever.” And then, once again she moved in the wrong direction, toward his desk.

The woman had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. Joseph had never felt so totally overwhelmed with desperation and fear. If he didn’t get Larissa out of the office before Mia walked in, his VP would very likely be seriously injured.

He was mentally kicking himself in the ass, hard. He’d known Mia’d been bothered over the way he left her earlier, and he’d planned to make it up to her later. When he’d felt her partially withdraw from their mental link, he’d allowed it because he’d been preoccupied, taking care of business matters with Larissa. He should’ve seen Mia’s retreat from him as the warning it was. He should’ve pushed harder to monitor her thoughts more closely. “You need to leave, Larissa. Right now.”

“I told you that I heard you. I’m not deaf.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You don’t have to keep saying it. I heard you the first ten times you said it.” Head pounding, he watched as she picked her phone up. “I just needed to get this.”

Turning around to face him, lifting her chin, she stared into his eyes. She looked as if she’d like to throw the phone at him as she waved it his face. Truthfully, he didn’t blame her for being mad. “If you need me for the next two weeks, don’t bother calling. I’m taking off for the weekend, and then I’m on vacation. You can deal with the housekeepers threatening to quit because there’s too much work for them.” She turned and walked toward the front door.

“That’s fine. I hope you enjoy your vacation.”

Larissa turned and frowned at him. “Whatever.”

Joseph felt Mia’s hand resting on the doorknob as she hesitated just outside his office. Moving with blurring speed, he got in front of Larissa. “No. Use the back entrance.” Larissa shook her head defiantly. “Go out the back now.” He used a powerful compulsion Larissa wouldn’t be able to defy.

Normally, to avoid exposing the existence of his kind, he wouldn’t have used his supernatural power carelessly in front of or on a human he spent a great deal of time with on a regular basis. This time he didn’t have a choice; he knew Mia was attempting but failing to regain control. As soon as Larissa walked out, Joseph waved his hand to lock the back door so she couldn’t come back in.

As he turned around, Mia opened his front office door and slammed it behind her. “What the hell have you done to me, Joseph?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The instant he looked into her eyes he realized that it wasn’t rage at all. He’d misread her emotions. It was lust. Hot, wild lust was burning in her eyes.

“Do you truly think I’m going to allow you to stand there and play dumb with me?”

“Mia.” Joseph said her name in a soft, soothing tone, hoping to get through to her. “I didn’t do anything to you.”

His attempt to calm her failed. The energy she was exuding was that of a wild predator preparing to sink its teeth into its prey. She was being driven to madness from lust. It shouldn’t have shocked him, but it did. Since meeting her, the unexpected was the rule. She was trouble. He liked trouble. A lot. But this, this was way beyond the unexpected.

Her gaze went from the chair Larissa had been sitting in, moved to the back door, and then locked onto the hand he’d used to lift Larissa from the chair. And then he realized she’d lifted her chin and was scenting the air.

“Mia.” He once again lowered his voice, hoping to use it to bring her out of the ‘predator stalking its prey’ mode.

“You were in here alone with Larissa.” Her voice was a low, threatening growl. She stared down at his hand. “You were touching her.” She looked up to meet his gaze.

“No.” Realizing she was jealous, he grinned like a fool. His reaction was an obvious mistake, considering her extreme level of frustration.

“Why are you smiling? Are you having fond memories of her?”

That brought a frown to his face in a hurry. “Of course not.” Attempting to appear as casual as possible, he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned his hip against his desk. “That’s crazy. What would make you think that?”

“Crazy?” Frowning, she narrowed her gaze onto his, her teeth chewing her bottom lip as if expelling pent-up fury. “What are you trying to say, Joseph?”

He shook his head. Damn it to hell. “Nothing.” Two thousand years of life experience had just failed him. It had been happening more and more every day ever since he’d met her. Any fool would’ve known better than to make such an enormous mistake with an already infuriated woman. The best way to encounter crazy was to call a hormonal woman crazy. Though he hadn’t done it, he knew that was the way she’d taken it. “I wasn’t calling you crazy.”

“Oh … gee, Joseph. Thanks. You’re too kind to me.” To most her upturned lips would’ve been mistaken for a smile, but he knew better. She was snarling, baring her teeth at him. “I don’t know how I would survive without you. I feel much better now.” And she planned to use those teeth on him.

Yeah. Right. He shoved a hand through his hair. He knew better. In fact, he feared she was about to take her wolf form. Suddenly realizing just how close her wolf was to the surface, his swallow was quite audible. She didn’t feel any better. If he was right, she was about two seconds away from making herself feel better by seriously fucking him up and possibly other people if she managed to get out of his office.

Maintaining an appearance of calm to avoid triggering her predator attack instincts, he started to work out a plan. He needed to gain control of the situation, or rather gain control of her, without harming her. His best option was to grab her and shift with her to someplace with no one else around. With a thought, he locked the door through which she’d entered to prevent her from running out when he made his move.

Obviously hearing the click, she glanced over her shoulder. In a slow motion, ‘holy shit, she’s possessed by utter evil and going to kill me’ sort of way, she turned her head to him and pinned her gaze onto his. “Aw, Joseph, you’re such a silly man.” Laughing at him with evident satisfaction, she took a small step toward him. “But I assure you I won’t be the one attempting to run away like a frightened little girl.”

Fear, true fear, gripped him, and his pulse skyrocketed. “That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to be frightened of me.” His dragon began to stir restlessly, pacing back and forth deep within his soul. He’d been going against his nature, his need to take possession of her body and soul, for the past six months as he’d courted her slowly and given her more time to accept him and what he was.

“You won’t be thinking it’s good when I get my hands on you,” she vowed.

Clearly, her statement was meant to be a threat, but he heard it as a promise of hot and wild carnal pleasure. “I wouldn’t be sure of that.” Normally his dragon wouldn’t have become agitated unless he was engaged in some type of battle, but its edginess had nothing to do with his dragon wanting to fight and everything to do with heightened arousal caused by her aggression.

Joseph’s dragon reacting in this way was strange; in fact, it had never happened during his entire existence since he’d not yet found his destined mate. No matter how much he wanted Mia to be his true mate, she wasn’t. As in the past, his dragon should’ve remained aloof even though she was aroused and he was aroused. He figured it was because he had been fighting an ever-growing need for her, for her body.

Regardless of why it was happening, it was far more than a bit unnerving. It was downright alarming. Normally, even in the heat of battle, Joseph had control over the dragon’s nature, but he could feel it slipping away. And that was dangerous. He could kill her. Not from the act of sex. Oh, no. He would make damn sure the sex was superbly satisfying, but with his dragon so aroused and fighting to dominate the situation it was likely he would lose all thought to the passion and attempt to take her last mortal breath to replace it with his immortal breath. For his destined mate, it would ensure their eternal union. For Mia, it would ensure her eternal demise.

He narrowed his unblinking eyes on Mia, devouring every lush, curvaceous inch of her feminine beauty. He ached to feel her soft skin against his, to cradle the weight of her full breasts in his hands as he buried his hard, throbbing cock deep inside her hot body.

For one terrifying second as she stood there laughing at him, it seemed impossible for him to keep his dragon, the darkest and most dangerous portion of his essence, from making a move to take possession of her. His cock, hard and heavy with raw lust, throbbed angrily. For the first time in his existence, he had reason to fear he would lose control of his sexual urges. He fought to rein them in, fought the urge to rip off her clothing and slam into her; luckily, years of discipline made it possible for him to remain in command.

He could smell the adrenaline surging through her bloodstream, causing her heart to pound too quickly. He could easily hear it from several feet away. Or maybe it was his; he couldn’t tell. His plan to grab her and get her the hell out of there was far from perfect. If she shifted into her wolf form, he was going to get badly torn up. Still, it seemed to be his best option.

Uncrossing his arms, he took a step in her direction, his movement setting off her predator instincts and kicking them into overdrive as she watched his every move. He’d never seen her wolf front and center, so powerfully incited.

Flames burning in her eyes, she kept her gaze locked onto his. “Tell me what you did to me, Joseph.” She was trembling. Not from fear. Not from morphine. In fact, he couldn’t detect any morphine in her body at all. She was mad as hell and sexually frustrated, but anger and frustration weren’t what were spurring her. Something else, something far more powerful, had roused her wolf.

He wasn’t sure what she believed he’d done to her, but he knew that, whatever it was, it was bad. Normally, simply asking would’ve been the easiest way to proceed, but it wasn’t an option this time. She was struggling for control, and he sensed she wouldn’t believe he didn’t know. Asking would push her over the edge. Hoping to figure it out, he expanded his mind and reached a little deeper in her mind than ever before.

Shocked by what he found, he almost withdrew from her thoughts. Her mind, her body were a burning caldron of lust. She was desperate for relief. Her flesh burned. Her body ached. It couldn’t be—she didn’t even know she was lycan—and yet, it was: she was in heat. As a result, her body was in a constant state of arousal. Her mind was confused. Her thoughts were centered on Joseph because in her mind no other man could ever give her the relief her body demanded. While that was good, it was also bad because of the timing. She didn’t have any way of knowing why she was suffering. But it was good her focus was on him. It was the sort of thing that brought a smile to a man’s face.

“It’s some sort of a spell, isn’t it?” She took another step toward him. “Isn’t it?”

“No.” A one-word response wasn’t enough, but as taken aback as he was, it was a miracle he’d managed to find his voice to say that.

“Playing stupid doesn’t suit you. Don’t you dare think for a minute you can lie to me!” Mia lifted her chin boldly, and her turquoise eyes blazed with fury as she stared into his eyes. She was so damn hot. Her long, dark blonde curls were disheveled. Her skin was just slightly flushed. “I know damn well what the hell you’re capable of doing with your mind!”

He’d never wanted or needed a woman as much, and there was little doubt she’d give herself to him if he put even an ounce of effort into seducing her. Putting on his most innocent face, figuring it would calm her, he stared at her. “You’re right, Mia. I could cause you to feel this.” He paused. As confused as she was, he would never forgive himself if he took advantage of her being in heat. “But I would never do this to you, to us.”

It had happened without warning. Joseph couldn’t help but wonder what had brought it on. He shrugged it off. At least she wasn’t suffering rage induced by morphine. Suddenly, however, it dawned on him Eli Thomas’ presence in town could be to blame for her symptoms. How could he shrug that off? Stupid question. He couldn’t. The idea that Mia being in heat was proof of her belonging to the alpha wolf truly pissed Joseph off. He wouldn’t give her up to any other man. She belonged to him. Some dark, ugly emotion swirled in his gut. Jealousy? Oh, yeah. He was jealous as hell.

“Us? Do you mean as in together?” She laughed out loud. “It. Is. Never. Happening. And do not lie to me, Joseph. Tell me what you were doing with Larissa.” Her entire body, covered with a glistening sheen, was trembling with pent-up sexual frustration and anger.

Ha! He struggled to keep a straight face. He wasn’t the only one overcome with jealousy. “We were working. I wasn’t doing anything inappropriate with her.”

She shook her head. “This is not natural. I know this isn’t me.” He felt her reach out to him and merge her mind with his to share what she was feeling. Her flesh was inflamed. Her muscles ached. She felt restless. Her skin was ultra sensitive. She was further aroused every time she moved and her clothing rubbed against it. Her body was desperately aching for release, and she was at a complete loss for a rational reason for what she was experiencing. “I know this isn’t me, Joseph.”

“I know you’re feeling uncomfortable and you’re confused. But you’re going to be okay.” He dropped his voice, attempting to use a compulsion. “Come here to me, Mia.” He held out his hand. “And I will help you.”

“Damn it, Joseph!” Mia covered her ears with her hands. “Damn you! Don’t do that … that thing with your voice! It won’t work! And stay the hell out of my head!” Shaking her head slightly, she squinted. He knew that in fighting his attempt to use a compulsion she was hurting herself. “I bet you think you can help me real good, don’t you?” She slowly, clenching and unclenching her fists at her sides, moved toward him.

Joseph’s dragon lifted its head and roared for the right to claim, to possess his mate. It caught him off guard. It shouldn’t be happening; she wasn’t his mate. “I need your help. I need you to calm down, Mia.” He struggled to hold the dragon back, but he was slowly losing control.

“Go to hell!” She was a predator stalking its prey—and he was the prey. “It’s all about sex to you. That’s why you’re doing this to me. You want me to screw you, right?”

That brought his eyebrows up even as the dragon, demanding his mate, tore at his soul. She certainly had a way with words when she was pissed off. If it had been all about sex he would’ve taken her. “No … I mean, yes. I want to be with you in every way possible.” He saw no reason to deny the obvious. “But I would never use my power to force you to want me. Come here. Come closer to me, Mia. Let me help you find relief.”

Her eyes went wide with what appeared to be outrage. “You’ve gone too far this time, Joseph. I trusted you. Does that mean anything to you?” He didn’t bother to respond, for he knew she wasn’t looking for an answer. She was venting. Plus, he needed to focus. His entire body was shaking with the effort it took to keep his nature in check. “I even started to like you … a little bit. A very little bit. You don’t have any right to do this to me.”

Her focus shifted, and she was silent for several moments. He was shocked by the dark, gruesome visions of her tearing Larissa to shreds that filled her mind as her eyes focused on the back door again. “You tried to hide her from me.” She turned her gaze to his. “What were you doing with her?”

Whether or not she was looking for an answer, he was giving it this time. “I’ve absolutely no desire for Larissa at all. She is my company’s VP. That is it. She means nothing to me. If I’ve failed to show you that you’re the only woman I want and need in my life, forgive me.” He’d been tempted, but he wasn’t dumb enough to even attempt to deny Larissa had been in the room. “I will hand it all over to her. I will walk away from this place.” He meant it; he saw no reason for Mia to be jealous or to feel threatened by Larissa in any way. As far as he was concerned no other woman was more beautiful, more desirable than Mia. He would never allow anything to cause Mia to doubt his devotion for her.

Looking lost and confused, she blinked up at him as she pushed her hand through her long, dark blonde curls. “No.” Frowning, she drew her bottom lip into her mouth and chewed on it. “You can’t walk away from your life for me.”

Her deep emotional pain and confusion slammed into him as if he’d been physically punched in the gut. “I can and I will.” He rolled his shoulders in a slow, casual shrug. “You are my life. This place means nothing to me. You’re all that matters to me, Mia.”

“No. Don’t do it. It’s not right.” Breathing heavily, she paused for several seconds. “I’m not right.” He knew she felt betrayed by him, but it had nothing to do with Larissa. It had everything to do with the persistent, uncomfortable ache in her body and the confusion in her mind. “Please, Joseph, you have to reverse whatever it was you’ve done to make me feel like this. I can’t stand it.” Her voice was such a soft whisper that even with his supernatural hearing he had to focus to hear her words.

“I love you with every ounce of my being. I would never do anything to cause you to feel so troubled. It’s not me.” Holding out his hand for her to take, he took a slow, cautious step toward her. “Come here to me, Mia.” He made sure his voice was as calm and as soothing as possible, but it was still a command. “Trust me. Let me help you.”

“I’m sure you would love the chance.” Shaking her head slightly, she gave him a look of disgust. “But it is not happening. Not today. Not ever.” Lifting her lip, she snarled at him. “Don’t lie to me. I know it’s you.” Posturing for a fight, she took a step back and to the side.

Sexual frustration was a serious matter for a female werewolf in heat. She was planning to kick his ass because she was insane with hunger. He felt her gathering herself, gathering her strength in preparation to attack him. This was no game; if he didn’t convince her that he wasn’t causing her symptoms she was going to rip him to pieces.

Tilting his head to the side, narrowing his gaze, he stared at her mouth. She wanted to sink her teeth into him. Her razor-sharp canines were slightly elongated. It was a shocking sight, but not as shocking as the realization that her canines were quite a turn on. He’d seen the wolf in her eyes on occasion when she was mad or felt threatened, but he’d never seen any sign of her turning. The fever in her radiated heat from her flesh. If she touched him, if he touched her, they would go up in flames of volcanic lust. Her wolf clawed at her insides needing … no. Not needing. It was demanding to be let loose.

“Come here to me, Mia.” Every hot, luscious, feminine inch of her body was calling out to him, needing him to ease her suffering. Every muscle in his body, every fiber of his being, reacted to her need, though he fought to contain his physical longing for her. “Let me help you.” He purposely kept his voice low in hopes of using it to compel her to relax and place her trust in him.

“You?” She rolled her eyes. “Help me?” Glaring up at him, her cheeks bright red with mounting anger and frustration, she shook her head. “I’m not an idiot, Joseph. I know damn well you’re the cause of it.”

A small moment of silence followed. He wondered if he should lie and admit to causing it, but he quickly decided against it. She would never trust him if she believed he would use his power to do something vile to get down her pants.

“Just make it stop, Joseph.”

“I will make it stop, but I will never admit to causing it.” It was quite possible she would take the form of her wolf the moment she attacked him. If that happened now while she was angry and confused, she would be difficult to handle. It wouldn’t be impossible. He’d fought many werewolves in the past, but it had always been while engaged in life-and-death battles. He’d never worried about injuring one; he’d always determined to kill them as quickly as possible. He could easily hurt her without even trying to—and that was something he wasn’t willing to risk.

Searching for the right words, the right actions to defuse her temper, he didn’t take his gaze from hers. He ached to wrap his arms around her and just hold her, to comfort her. However, he knew such intimate physical contact would likely cause to her be further aroused, and as a result she would become enraged. “I didn’t do anything to you, Mia.” And yet, he craved to do so much more to her, with her. He needed to at least take her hand, but he feared the thought of touching her at all—and not because his body was so damn aroused; he was more concerned with his dragon being equally aroused.

Her beautiful, hungry eyes slowly drifted from his face down to his crotch and lingered there for a few endless seconds. Damn. She most certainly had a remarkable talent for throwing him off balance. It felt as if her gaze had reached out and physically touched him, caressed him, as if her fingers played over his ultra-sensitive flesh. When her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, his breath caught in his throat and his cock swelled and hardened even more. He knew he was in serious trouble, and she was in serious trouble if he didn’t find the strength to force some of the blood rushing south to reverse direction and head north to his brain.

When she finally looked up to meet his gaze, he expected a full-fledged, ‘get your ass kicked in a bad way’ attack. The last thing he’d been prepared for was the first thing he should’ve predicted. As always, Mia did the unforeseen She rushed him and, with a burst of lycan strength, took him down onto the floor.

Taken aback, he forgot to shift with her to another location. He stared up at her, his breath rushed in and out of his lungs. Matching the rhythm of her heart, his heart thundered in his chest. She was lost in a storm of lust. And so was he. Her emotions were spinning out of control as if caught up in the unstoppable winds of a tornado. All rational thought was being hurled around in the swirling mass of carnal needs. In her mind, he found raw, insatiable hunger that refused to be denied. And that hunger was contagious. He didn’t have the ability to push it aside. Her need for him simply increased his need for her. He knew he should do or say something to stop her, but knowing wasn’t enough to convince him do anything that would cause her to remove the weight of her body from his or remove her legs from straddling his waist.

For a few seconds, she sat motionless, her gaze not once wavering from his. He’d never even imagined a more exquisite woman. From the moment, he’d first taken her hand at the cemetery six months ago, she’d become as essential to him as the air he breathed. For many years, he thought he would never find a love as strong and as pure as her love. Now, he couldn’t fathom a life without her. He never wanted to try.

Too afraid to move, to touch her, to do anything that might stop her, he kept his fists clenched at his sides. He watched. He waited. He hoped for more. The sight of her on top of him, looking down at him with so much love and lust in her eyes, stole his breath away. It was his perfect fantasy made reality. He’d never experienced anything nearly as glorious until she reached down to touch him.

Her fingers never stopped touching his body, moving over him, exploring him with such obvious fascination and hunger that he was trembling with pleasure, with anticipation for more. “I really want to hate you right now, Joseph. I can’t believe I’m burning up for you like this. I’m going crazy. I’m not even sure of what to do with you.” Moving slowly, she leaned down, stretching her body over his. “I’ve never needed anything more than I need you right now. I have to touch you.”

Her breath was deliciously hot against his skin as her lips moved from the base of his throat to his jaw. “Oh, damn, Mia.” Closing his eyes, he savored the sensation of her mouth and tongue playing over his skin. He knew he needed to stop her. “Mia.” Her name came out sounding like a strangled groan. Her teeth gently teased his chin, jaw, neck, and ear. “Wait.” His pulse thundered in his ears. Nothing inside him wanted to detour her from touching him. How the hell was he going to regain control of his body’s demand for her?

“I feel alive when I’m with you.” Her fingers worked on unknotting his tie until she’d pulled it off. She framed his face with her hands. “Look at me, Joseph.” He opened his eyes. “Stop holding back. I need you to touch my body, every part of my body. Lose control with me. I need to feel every inch of your skin against mine. Need me, burn for me like I’m burning up for you.” Her mouth felt heavenly in the most sinful of ways feeding on him as her fingers worked to undo his shirt buttons. “Touch me, Joseph.”

He felt tears of joy burning behind his eyes. His hands stayed clenched at his sides. He was afraid to touch her, afraid of the price of allowing her to proceed. He knew if he didn’t stop her she would live with regret or die. No woman had ever made him care about consequences. He’d never experienced anything like it before, emotionally or even physically. His heated skin was hypersensitive. His body was inconceivably hard. The hunger in her voice and the look of desperation in her eyes did marvelously wicked things to his body.

Her rising frustration, her need, pounded into him. His mind deeply merged with hers allowed the lust raging in her to increase his to intolerable heights. She would never get enough of him. He would never get enough of her. She would never get close enough to him. He would never get close enough to her. They would always need more, much more of each other. Their hearts and souls were bound so closely together he knew he would never be alone again.

She kissed him passionately, possessively while her fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and her body moved restlessly against his. Giving up on the buttons, she ripped his shirt apart. He was very aware of her touch, to the point of being mesmerized by it. Her fingers electrified his skin, tracing his muscles. Her kiss was rough and insistent. It was more than he could bear. He had to stop her, but he knew he would never be able to do it. He would never get enough of her sensuous kisses, of her touch, of her body. He could almost imagine his cock, locked deep within her slick, hot sheath.

Finally, he moved. His hands found her thighs, caressed her soft, silky flesh. He realized his hands were trembling when he pushed her skirt up. Her soft moans of pleasure, of approval, vibrated against his lips as her tongue delved deeper to dance with his. Flames, uncontrollable flames of sweet torment swept through him when, mimicking the act of making love, she started to move her body against his. Damn. He needed … damn. He was … oh, damn it. He needed to be inside her. He was going to burst in his pants. Gripping her bottom, he began to move with her, grinding his swollen cock against her hot core.

He slid his hands up her shirt and up her tiny ribcage as her lips moved down his throat to his chest. “Joseph,” she whispered, the warmth of her breath on his belly causing currents of electricity to race through his body, “right now, more than anything, I want to hate you.” Her lips moved further down his belly as her hands worked on unbuckling his belt. “I’ve never felt threatened by what you are, by what you’re capable of doing. I never believed you would use your power against me.” The tremor in her voice instantly brought him to his senses. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”

“No.” He caught her shoulders and pulled her up the length of his body. His sexual drive was powerful, but not nearly as powerful as his natural drive to protect her. “I want you with every fiber of my being, but I would never use my power or manipulation to take advantage of you.”

“Whatever.” She was falling, tumbling out of control, sinking to the bottom of a well of lust. “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter right now.”

“Too bad. I care.” He felt like an ass for allowing her to continue believing he’d caused the fever that was rushing through her veins. “It matters to me. You matter to me.”

Her body was aroused, but her mind was confused. She believed what was happening was unnatural. She believed he’d put a spell on her. She needed to get away from him, but she didn’t have the strength to walk away. She ached for him to touch her, to fill her.

He was also aching, but he wouldn’t take her body at the risk of losing her heart. He held her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. He reached into her mind, her soul. It was a slow, deep penetration. He built a barrier between her body and the symptoms of her wolf being in heat. He knew it had worked when she closed her eyes and collapsed on top of him, resting her head on his chest. He felt her heart slow down to an even, steady pace as his heart slowed.

She was absolutely silent and still for a few seconds. Then, wrenching her body out of his arms, she threw herself up off him. “I can’t believe you would do something so … oh, damn it.” She turned to walk away. “You’re such an imbecile, Joseph.”

He jumped to his feet and caught her wrist. She tugged on her arm, but he kept it and forced her to turn around. He stood motionless as he stared down at her. It was a single moment that seemed to last for forever. “I didn’t do anything to cause it.” When she attempted to pull her wrist out of his grip, he pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. “I did not do it.” He rested his chin on top of her head.

“Yes, you did. I know it was you. It wasn’t me. That doesn’t happen to me. I don’t have urges like that. I don’t even want to have sex with you.”

That brought a smile to his face. “You’re lying. You want me. You’re just not ready.” He lifted her chin to force her to look into his eyes. “I don’t mind waiting. What we have between us is much more than sexual chemistry.”

“I am well aware of that. You want it all. You need it all, Joseph.” The sadness in her voice caused his heart to ache. All he wanted, all he needed at that moment, was to comfort her. “You deserve to have it all.” She closed her eyes. “But if you choose me you will never be able to have it all. It will end before it truly begins.”

“Look at me.” He framed her face with his hand and traced her lips with his thumb. “It’s not a matter of if I choose you. I chose you the day we met. And with you, I have it all.” He moved his hand to cradle the nape of her neck, his fingers massaging gently as he pressed her head against his chest. “Without you I have nothing at all.”

He felt her resolve to put some distance between them, but as she shoved at his shoulders and chest, he also felt her need to get closer to him, to feel the heat of his flesh against her. “You’re being irrational, Joseph.” He felt her confusion, her frustration, but above all else he felt her love for him, her aching, burning need for him.

“Me? You’re the one freaking out over a kiss. Why are you upset now? It’s not like it was the first time I’ve ever kissed you.”

“That wasn’t you kissing me, Joseph. That was me practically raping you.”

“First, in this case, practically doesn’t count.” Winking, he pointed down at his still swollen, hard-as-a-rock, aching-like-hell cock. “And second, you can’t rape the eager and willing, angel.” Just as he knew she would do, she stared down at his crotch.

Looking up at him, she blushed. “You’re going to get your ass kicked if you keep smiling at me like that.” There were tears in her voice. “Nothing about what just happened is even a tiny bit funny. And it’s never happening again.” She turned away from him to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“The boutique. I have a busy day”

“You might want to button your shirt first.”

“I really, truly hate you with all of my heart.” She pulled her shirt together and buttoned it up, and then she glanced over her shoulder. “And soul. Definitely my soul.”

Using supernatural speed he got in front of the door before she reached it. Lifting her chin, she glared up at him. “Move out of my way.”

“Do you still plan to paint the boutique tonight?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be there around eight to help you.” He bent his head and nuzzled her ear as he reached behind her and pulled her skirt down over her hips. “You’ve a beautiful, sexy ass, but I’m betting you would rather not show it off from here to your boutique.” She opened her mouth as if to respond, but he silenced her with a gentle and yet passionate kiss. “It’s okay—there’s no need to thank me. I also would rather you not show it off.”

“Very funny.” She smiled, but the pain in her eyes caused his heart to ache.

He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry I allowed it to get out of control.”

“It’s not your fault.” She stepped beyond him, unlocked the door, opened it, and then stepped out into the hallway, but then she stopped and turned to face him again. “And, Joseph, I’m sorry I came in here accusing you. Do you know what caused me to get all freaky on you? Is it the morphine?”

“I do. And, no, it had nothing to do with morphine.”

“Tell me what caused it.”

“I will explain it all to you when I come over to help you tonight.”

“I want to know now. Why wait?”

It wasn’t something he could explain quickly. Plus, he didn’t know what to say or how to say it. He wanted a little time to think about it. And he had no idea how she was going to take it. “I have an urgent appointment I need to keep.” It was a lie. Since he’d chased Larissa out he didn’t have much to do at all, but he figured it was a necessary, harmless lie.

“You will tell me everything later, right?”

“I promise,” he lied again. He had no intention of telling her about Eli. Again, it was a necessary lie. Okay. So, it wasn’t necessary, but he was demon; he could lie with impunity. There was no way in hell he was going to tell the only woman he would ever love that she belonged to another man.

“I’m sorry for blaming you.” She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “And I really am sorry for rushing in here like a sex-crazed lunatic and attacking you.”

To prevent her from seeing how close he was to laughing, he pulled her closer to cradle her head against his chest. He bent his head and kissed the top of her head. “That’s too bad. I’m not sorry at all.”

Since his shirt was still open he felt her smile against his chest. “You’re such a man. And you’d better not post anything about this.”

“I’m glad you noticed. And no worries, I would never want the world to know you rushed into my office and threw me to the floor and jumped on top of me and tried to have your way with me like some sex-crazed lunatic.” Yep. It was another lie.

She leaned back and looked up at him. “I swear I’ll kick your ass if you do it.” She stood on the very tips of her toes and kissed his cheek. “And I’ll make sure you don’t enjoy it.” He figured she was just as talented at lying as he was. They were a great match.

It was at that moment Joseph was reminded some demons, most likely due the ‘damned souls for all of eternity’ thing, had the worst luck. He just happened to be one of those with the worst of the worst.