Cassie slid a sideways glance at Hone. The motel—no, it was a hotel, really—was gorgeous with views over the sea, even from the car park. Perched on a hill, with a track down to a secluded beach and lots of privacy, it was ideal. Romantic even.
Even as she thought that, Hone reached for her hand and twined their fingers together. Her heart went pitter-patter and a shot of desire pierced her belly.
“Is this okay?”
“It’s perfect.”
“Good. Still want to share that bed with me?”
“Yes.”
“Now?”
Cassie turned, noticed the hint of color in his cheeks, the absence of his usual grin. “Yes.” She didn’t try to play games or act coy. Not when she wanted him. Bad.
Hone lifted her hand and kissed the back of it, his lips branding her skin and driving heat to the heart of her. “Let’s get the bags and check in.”
Their room lived up to the promise of the exterior of the hotel. The main building housed reception, the restaurant and a small gift shop while the majority of the rooms were bungalows, located a distance apart to give the occupants privacy. A large bed drew her attention, the plain white covers and paua-shell throw—the combination of teal, turquoise, blues and pinks giving a shot of color—more inviting to her than the stunning view.
Hone set down the bags. He took off his hat and sunglasses, purpose in each careful action.
When she stared at him, he removed her hat and glasses. “I can’t see you as well now.”
“You don’t need to see for what we’re about to do.” His husky voice promised all sorts of sensual pleasures. “You want this, right?”
“Yes.” She never hesitated. She intended to have hot, naked sex with Hone Taniwha without any commitment between them. She hadn’t even slept with Kevin for the first three months of their official dating relationship. Stern warnings from her mother crept through her mind—about milk and cows. She flipped them off and took the hand Hone extended to her.
For once, she intended to please herself, and Hone pleased her very much.
His fingers tightened around hers, and a shiver—the pleasurable sort—frisked her nerve-endings. She sucked in a quick breath, puffed it back out.
Hone paused. “Are you scared of me? Because you needn’t be. I’d never hurt you.”
Physically, maybe. But when he cut her loose… She accepted the truth—Emma had warned her, and she’d decided she could live with the fallout. She would cope with the aftermath, because for once, she was following her heart instead of her mother’s strictures.
Summoning her inner siren, she spread her arms wide, did a little wiggle of her hips. “Shut up and kiss me, Hone.”
She thought he’d pounce, but he surprised her. With his gaze locked on her face the entire time, he drew her nearer until the tips of her breasts brushed his chest. His eyes glowed with a strange red light that should’ve scared her. Instead, his intensity pleased her, made her feel desirable.
His lips brushed hers, gentle as a butterfly, yet packing more power than any other kiss she’d received. Her lids fluttered shut, enclosing her in a world of sensation. The whisper of his hands over her shoulders and back as he fitted their bodies together. The press of his lips as he deepened the kiss. The scent of soap and aftershave. The shift of his muscles beneath her fingertips.
Then his lips were gone.
Confused, she opened her eyes to greet the reddish heat reflected in his brown irises and his quizzical gaze.
“What?” she whispered, frightened to break the fragile peace in her heart.
“I want to take off your clothes, see those luscious curves of yours, touch them.”
Cassie issued a happy sigh and released her inner tension. The open window faced the sea, and although it was designed for privacy with a gray tint, light still blazed into the room. He’d see her. All of her. She sucked in her tummy as every insecurity and Kevin’s complaints about her size whacked her over the head.
No, dammit. She refused to let her fears spoil this moment. She chose to believe Hone desired her and everyone else could go hang while she enjoyed the hell out of the coming bout of sex.
“You go right ahead,” she pushed out, striving for a sexy purr. Her words emerged on the croaky side, but Hone didn’t hesitate.
After another whisper-soft kiss that left her craving more, he turned her and slid down the zipper at the back of her dress. Her bodice gaped, and she fought the impulse to catch it and hide her breasts.
No. No. No.
She would not let her mind fix on body image and all the crap that went with it. Last warning. She forced her hands to her sides and let gravity do its thing. The cotton sundress slid down, snaring on her hips. Hone’s quick tug sent it swooshing to the floor. She stepped out of the circle of fabric.
“Turn around,” Hone said in a hoarse voice.
That weird red light glittered in his gaze. His lips curved up in sexy-man approval. “Gorgeous underwear.”
Her shoulders straightened and pride roared through her. She did look good—glamorous even—in her favorite set of black lingerie.
Without warning, he moved, scooping her into his arms. He deposited her on the bed, then sat back to remove her black sandals. Instead of progressing quickly, as Kevin had, he massaged her feet.
“Pretty toes,” he whispered.
She made a note to thank Emma for the pedicure suggestion.
His hands moved up her calves, stroking and rubbing until she wanted to melt into the mattress. Arousal stroked over her body, prickling her breasts and standing her nipples to attention.
One of his fingers traced the hi-cut lacy leg of her black briefs.
“Part your legs for me, sweetheart.”
Her legs parted before the thought to obey filtered through her mind.
Hone inhaled, and his red-brown eyes drew her slightly blurry attention. “You want me.”
“Yes.” Nothing less than the truth.
He rose up the bed until he was close enough for the fuzzy edges of his face to come into focus.
“I can see you properly now.”
His finger traced the lacy edge of a bra cup. “Have you always worn glasses?”
“Since I was four.” She chuckled at the memory, recalling her mother’s despair at a less-than-perfect child. “Both my parents have good eyesight. I inherited this from my father’s side, per my mother.”
“From the little I’ve heard about your family, your mother sounds like a witch.”
“Complete with broomstick at times,” Cassie agreed, her lips twitching. “She expects perfection. It’s the way her parents raised her, and sometimes she forgets that an imperfect moment or object can have its own charm. I just agree with her, make my own decisions, and live with her disapproval.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. In her own way, she loves me. It’s easier now that I’m older. Now let’s kick her out of this bed because talking about my parents and sex at the same time is slightly freaky.”
He ran his middle finger along the edge of her other bra cup, then surprised her again. Instead of whisking off her bra and panties, he settled in to kiss her. Long kisses. Slow kisses. Soft kisses. Passionate kisses.
Before, there had been one type of kiss in her repertoire. The perfunctory kisses made to prepare a body for sex. She clung to Hone, her fingers digging into his T-shirt clad shoulders as lips shaped and tested and learned.
“I can’t get enough of kissing you,” he said hoarsely.
“You kiss divinely. I should be wary of all that expertise, but wow!”
He laughed, the rough sound coming from deep in his throat. He shifted his body a fraction, notching his erection against her sex. A zinger swept her, stealing her breath, her ability to process ideas. Her lids closed.
“Open,” Hone whispered.
She raised her weighted lids with difficulty and stared at him. That weird red light in his irises drew her. Flames. That’s what it reminded her of—fire.
“Good girl.”
He removed her bra with an expertise that made her blink. Her black panties slid down her legs, leaving her naked while he still wore jeans and T-shirt.
Her insecurities rose to thumb their bony fingers at her. She batted them away with difficulty and focused on Hone’s gaze.
“I’m a big man, Cassie. I’ve never been attracted to petite women. I prefer a woman with shape and curves like yours. Jack, Manu and all my cousins are the same. Why do you suppose jealousy struck me so hard when I thought Manu was making a move on you? Because you’re exactly his type.” He answered his own question.
“It’s not that exactly. Well, not all of it. I feel vulnerable when I’m the only one without clothes.”
“The clothing helps me keep control. I want you, Cassie. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you. And what I want more than anything right now is to savor you and give you the first time you deserve.”
“Oh! Oh,” she said once his words sank in to her lust-fogged brain. He grinned that charming, boyish grin of his and a wave of pure lust struck her. “Your eyes are weird.”
“Family trait,” he replied lightly. “It means I want you.”
Hone stopped talking and kissed her. He palmed one breast, shoving her onto an entirely different plane of desire. She gasped as he parted their lips.
“Keep those pretty eyes open. I want to see you.”
He took the same time with her breasts as he had kissing her. His busy fingers plucked and tugged her nipples and shaped each breast until she trembled. It felt as if a single caress of her nipples would send her exploding into orgasm. The warm heat, the strong suction created a nerve ending path to her pussy.
She moaned her pleasure, raising her hips in silent demand. While his mouth was busy, Hone’s hands wandered her ribs, her stomach and her hipbones until she thought she might lose her wits.
“Eyes, sweetheart.”
She groaned, unware she’d screened her sight yet again. It was becoming harder and harder to keep them open when every inch of her body sang to the maestro’s touch. She managed it—just.
Hone moved down the bed, parted her legs farther and lifted her to meet his lips. He licked the length of her slit.
Her muscles tensed. She shuddered as he settled in to tease her. He licked her entrance, pushed his tongue deep, the friction rougher than she’d expected.
“Hone, please.”
He lifted his head. “Please what? I need your words. I’d like you to tell me what you want.”
“In detail?”
“Yeah, I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
“Make me come with your tongue. Slide your fingers inside me, or better yet, your cock.” Her cheeks heated at voicing her demands, but she forced her thoughts to words, anyway.
“Perfect. When we’re together, I want a lover who participates.”
“I—I—what do you mean? Am I doing something wrong?”
“Hell, no. All I’m saying is I like honest reactions and if you want something, I expect you to tell me.”
“Then please hurry,” she blurted.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t delay gratification. I don’t believe I ever said that.”
“Oh.”
His grin kicked up a notch before he resumed his licking and stroking. A moan of protest burst free, and his laughter puffed air against her sensitive clit. She jerked her hips and managed to frustrate herself further.
“Oh, please. Hone.”
He was strong, his hands holding her lower body steady for each tormenting stroke.
Cassie swallowed, desperate for release, her heart beating so hard she thought it might explode under the strain.
A growl escaped Hone as her eyes closed yet again. How he knew they were shut, she had no idea.
“You taste good. Love your scent.” Her juices coated his chin, shone in the late afternoon daylight as he licked his lips. “Is it me or is it getting hot in here?” He straightened and jerked off his T-shirt.
She’d seen his tattoos before—the tribal twist going up one arm and the snarling dragon on his back, but now she had a right to touch those inky scrawls.
“Let me explore your tattoos.”
“Soon,” he agreed, and she got the impression he was pleased with her request.
He bent again to lick between her legs, this time with skill and purpose. A low level buzz started at her core and slowly radiated upward in a wave. It kept coming and coming, and when he slid two fingers deep into her channel, twisting them a fraction, he hit the perfect spot and she exploded, the force of that wave crashing over her, consuming her, wrecking her and spoiling her for every other man.
Her muscles turned limp.
“Those pretty eyes are closed again.”
She forced them open and found him grinning at her. “Your eyes are red.” His pupils elongated and it was like looking at an alien creature. Sure her mind was playing tricks, she blinked and when she studied him again, he appeared normal. Just those freaky red-brown irises, smoldering at her and banked full of passion.
“Red eyes, huh? How bad is your sight?” Humor lurked on his features, his full, sexy mouth quirking as if he held back a laugh—one of those rich belly laughs. A lusty all-is-right-in-my-day laugh.
“Shush. Let me up. I want to explore you.”
“Don’t think so.” He dug around in his jeans pocket and pulled out a condom, which he set aside to fling off his footwear and the last of his clothes.
His body…it was fantastic. She’d seen him at the beach after swimming, with beads of water glistening on his sculpted chest and abs. This time she got the whole picture and a man comfortable in his own body. His cock stood to attention, full and big enough for her to wish her sight wasn’t blurry around the edges.
“My turn,” she said when she realized he was grinning again. A hard blink did nothing to zap away the redness. Made her wonder if she was about to fuck with the devil.
He barked out a laugh.
“Um, did I say that out loud?”
“Yep. I promise you, sweetheart. I’m not from hell, and all I want right now is to fuck you and give us both pleasure. Sound good?”
“Yes.” A whisper-soft affirmation.
He ripped open the foil packet and rolled on the condom. “Spread those legs again, sweetheart. Let me see that pretty pussy.”
She never hesitated and thanked the gods who’d whispered she should take extra care with personal grooming.
“Yep, pretty,” he said, his red gaze raking her sex. He crawled onto the bed and caged her within his arms and body. “Put me inside you, sweetheart. I want to feel you gripping my cock.”
Cassie chewed her bottom lip and didn’t move. “I’d rather touch.”
“Later,” he promised. “Guide me.”
Masculine determination. Smokin’ hot body. Freaky red stare.
She wanted him, needed him so much. Her hand trembled as she reached between them to grip his shaft. He lined up against her entrance and pushed until the flared head stretched her.
He cursed softly. “I knew this would be good. It’s also gonna be fast this first time. Okay?”
Her channel flexed around his cock head, wringing a tortured groan from him.
“Take me,” she whispered and it came out throaty and suggestive. “I’m all yours.”
He mumbled something—a bit like, I hope you mean that—then he was sliding into her wetness, stretching her inner muscles and firing her sex to red-alert. She hadn’t thought she could climax again. Two quick strokes as Hone seated himself disabused her of that supposition. She clutched his shoulders, falling into rhythm with him and reach, reach, reaching for her second greedy orgasm.
“That’s it,” he murmured against her ear. “Feels so good, so fuckin’ good being inside you. I could do this all day.” One hand reached up to thumb her nipple and the sharp tweak of pain jumped to her clit in a fast echo of pleasure.
“Hone. Please.”
“You do fuckin’ please me so much. You’re wet, so wet for me. Love your breasts and the way they overflow my hands.”
Her hands ran down his back, gripping him to her. Her thoughts, usually full of her to-do list by this stage because her ex’s lovemaking hadn’t been that inspiring, centered on getting closer, getting off. Yeah, getting off again would be really good.
“Your eyes are closed again.”
She spluttered out a laugh. “Maybe I’m afraid of seeing your demon-eyes. They might put me in a trance or do a tricky magical thing. Ohhh. Yes, right there. Do that again.”
“Would never hurt you, Cassie. You’re special.” And he punctuated this surprising confession with a twist of his hips that broke her. Detonation. Implosion. The climax to end all orgasms. She felt her pussy tighten around him, felt the pleasure surge along every sensitive nerve. Hone plunged into her now. Short, sharp digs of his cock that kept the spasms igniting. She half-sobbed, the pleasure overwhelming. He groaned, thrusting deep and stilling, fully impaled while his cock contracted with hard pulses.
Cassie did open her eyes this time to his smiling face and perfectly normal brown gaze. Well, heck. “I’m obviously reading too many fantasy romances.”
He rubbed his damp forehead against hers before kissing her lightly on the lips. “If I’d known how good the sex would be between us, I’d have pushed harder for this on day one.” He kissed her again and withdrew.
Cassie wanted to protest at the separation.
“Fuck.”
The harsh note had her bolting upright. “What?”
“Condom broke. I’m so sorry. That’s never happened before.”
“I’m on birth control. It’s okay.” Visions of Hone with other women, many other women with gorgeous figures, flooded her mind, but instead of acting in the responsible manner, asking pointed questions like an intelligent member of the Miller-Pope family, she remained silent.
“Stop what you’re thinking. I always use condoms, and if you’re worried, I can get tested. I’m clean, but you don’t know that.”
“I said it’s okay.”
“Okay.” His eyes did that weird red thing. By the time she’d blinked to clear her fuzzy sight, she saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“I might have a shower,” Hone said and held out his hand. “Want to share?”
That damn broken condom had spoiled the mood between them. He couldn’t exactly tell her the truth about taniwha and their immunity to human sexual diseases.
He was about to let his hand drop to his side when her fingers clasped his. He wanted to roar to show his relief, but instead, he tugged her off the bed and prowled toward the en suite bathroom.
Normally his dragon was like, hey, sex. Good, now I can sleep. Today, he’d created a disturbance. Hone had ended up seeing Cassie’s splendid curves through a red haze for most of their loving. She’d noticed, but her glasses dependency had given him an advantage.
In the en suite, he flipped on the shower, silently approving of the tiled wet room without the usual shower stall. She had to be sore after the way he’d hammered into her at the end. “Does it matter if you get your hair wet?”
“It will dry.” She shrugged, the movement of her shoulders making her breasts jump and shimmy.
Nice.
“Hey, you’re ogling me.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I didn’t have enough time before to explore all of you. You sore?” He almost laughed when she squeezed her thighs together.
“A bit.”
But he was already reaching for a facecloth. He wet it under the warm water and wrung out the surplus. “Let me.” He knelt before her, gently widening her stance so he could tend to her.
“I can do that.”
She was like a skittish stray. “I know you can, but I want to make you feel better. After all, it’s for my benefit too.”
“You want to have sex again?” She sounded surprised—no bemused.
“I intend to make love with you and to you—as long as you’re agreeable.”
“I—okay. You said we were going to do a little sightseeing.”
“We will,” he promised. “But I can guard your sexy body easier if we’re confined to one room. One bed.” He grinned up at her, his taniwha humming at her answering smile.
“You make funny noises.”
“I’m happy and content. Why shouldn’t I purr?” Using the cloth, he cleaned her flesh then stood and gave in to his impulse to kiss her silly. The water poured over their heads, warm and relaxing. Normally, a rousing round of sex left him sated and relaxed. While happiness filled him and if he was any more relaxed, he’d be in a coma, he still wanted her, wanted to mark her inside and out with his taniwha. Taniwha didn’t mark their mates as such, but they did mate for life. Once a taniwha committed to another—either taniwha or human—they seldom strayed. Until today Hone hadn’t managed to fathom staying with one person for the rest of his life. His own taniwha had pushed him from the start, from the second he’d met Cassie. Resisting fate and his dragon had tied him in knots until his mind flip-flopped like a little girl. It was time to trust his beast in romance, as he believed and relied on him in other facets of his life.
Cassie required wooing to start her thoughts in the same direction as his…
“What will you do once you’ve finished your vineyard shows?”
“I’m not sure. I’m meant to be going to LA.” Cassie reached for the shower gel. She opened the complimentary tube and squirted a dollop on the facecloth he still held in his hand, but she didn’t add anything further to the conversation. “My manager wants me to put out another album and go out on tour to promote it. He’d like me to focus on a crossover to the pop genre. It’s something I’m considering.”
“Turn around. I’ll do your back.” She might leave. He hadn’t considered that because of her grandfather’s house. He’d assumed she intended to stay.
“Thanks.”
Hone rubbed the cloth down her spine and over her shoulders, but his mind drifted elsewhere. Wasn’t that damn ironic? He found one woman who did it for him, once that made him consider a future and there was a possibility that she mightn’t stay in New Zealand.
For most people, that wouldn’t matter. They’d follow their woman, but for him there would be repercussions. Leaving his family support and the taniwha network would create problems. Hell, if it wasn’t such a worry, he’d laugh off his arse.
* * * * *
Herbert hated puzzles, and even more, he disliked failure. Losing the couple he’d been tailing irked him. He drove around the streets in the area where they’d shaken him and still came up empty.
Deciding he’d function better with a full stomach, he drove south and pulled into the parking lot of the first McDonald’s restaurant he saw. A burger, fries and a cold shake, all consumed inside the air-conditioned restaurant drove away his sluggishness. He pondered as he chewed. The motel. Yeah, he’d backtrack. He could book a room, say he was meeting his cousin and ask for her by name.
Nah, saying he was her cousin might raise suspicion, but he could check out the motel room. Learn if she’d checked out or he could, he thought with a flash of brilliance, watch the other girl—the friend who lived with the big, scary dude. Surly bastard, he was—the sort who’d act first and ask questions later. Worked for the private firm called George Taniwha & Son. He’d have to go under the radar to avoid detection.
He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and pushed away from the table. His chair scraped along the polished floor, and he strode out the door.
He did enjoy overcoming a challenge.