Staking His Claim (Line of Duty #5)(9)

Layered beneath the longing, the overwhelming stretch and buildup in her stomach, existed a need to calm whatever she’d seen raging inside him. It felt like a responsibility. One she wanted. One she’d be damned if anyone else got before her.

She attempted to search Matt’s eyes, but they were closed tight, the lines between his eyebrows deeply furrowed. His body felt ruthlessly taut, like the string of a guitar. All his strength, held back with firm resolve. “Matt, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” he repeated, his lips moving hers as he spoke. “I want to turn you the f*ck out. That’s what’s wrong, baby.”

Her exhale came out sounding like a moan. She’d known he desired her, but hearing just how much she’d turned him on was a potent aphrodisiac. His voice had taken on a new, rougher quality, crumbling the final illusion of calm, collected Matt. This Matt wanted to take her. Hard. But for some reason, he didn’t want to want that. Why? “No objections here. I want that, too.”

“You don’t.” He dropped an openmouthed kiss onto the curve of her neck. When she whimpered her enjoyment, it turned into a bite. “You don’t know what that means. Not with me.”

She was going to lose him if she didn’t act. Her hands were immobile, held tightly in his grip, her body flattened so completely against the door, she couldn’t move her hips. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and bit his ear, tugging it hard. His growl sent shock waves through every corner of her system. “Show me, then.”

In one swift motion, he curled his hands around her knees and yanked her legs up to circle his waist. “Squeeze your thighs around me—tight—or I’ll put you over my knee.”

Lucy felt every vital muscle below her waist clench. Holy hell. What had she managed to coax to life inside this man? Why did it excite her more than anything in her recollection? She thought she understood what he meant, but wanted, needed, to hear him say the words. “Why would you do that?”

“Because,” Matt enunciated, “I want to pleasure your sick little body. I want to make you scream and shake and lose your f*cking mind.” He surged up between her legs. “But before that, I want to erase any doubt as to who is about to take ownership of you, good girl. Have I scared the hell out of you yet?”

Oh, God. A little. Not enough to want to stop, though. “No.”

“Liar. You know what I do to liars?”

“Kiss them?”

“You want to be kissed?”

Lucy nodded eagerly, her gaze dropping to his mouth. More than anything in the world.

Matt licked his lips. “You going to rub that tongue against mine and turn me into a madman? Be ready to drive yourself crazy in the process.”

“I’m ready for anything.” She held her breath as he leaned in slowly, all that wild intensity focused on her mouth. Back and forth, he rubbed their lips together, tasting her in small, sampling licks and bites. Her eyelids refused to support themselves even as she struggled to keep them up, to watch him. As if each bite of his teeth was injecting her with venom. Not the poisonous kind, though. The kind that attuned every cell in your body to whoever had administered it. Matt.

Finally, blessedly, he swept his tongue into her mouth, groaning and pressing closer as he did so. Then he quite simply melted every bone in her body. He released one of her hands to tug down her chin, tilting his head to make as much contact as possible. Their mouths melded together eagerly, tongues seeking and brushing. He was huge between her thighs and she used every bit of mobility she had to grind into him, while kissing him past the point where she needed to draw breath. Pulling away to suck in oxygen didn’t seem worth it.

Matt released her mouth, but stayed close as they drew breath. “Did that feel nice? You like the way I kiss your sexy mouth?”

“Yes.”

“The sting of my hand wouldn’t feel nice. Not the way you want.”

“How do you know what I want?” He didn’t answer, just took another long pull off her mouth. He shook his head as he did it, as though he was battling some inner demon she couldn’t see. “Where do you want to…make it sting, Matt?”

Conflicted eyes shot to hers, causing her heartbeat to falter. His jaw clenched but he said nothing. She took his hand from her chin and kissed his knuckles. In the absence of the light pressure, she realized she’d liked it. “Show me where.”

With a tortured growl, both hands cupped her bottom and jerked her against him. At the same time, he bit down on her shoulder, just beside the strap of her tank top. “Please, don’t let me do it, baby.”

Her mind raced, along with her overloaded senses. She couldn’t think of anything but the truth. “Saying things like that only makes me want it more.”

“Fuck. Fuck.” Her words had pushed him past his breaking point. In a blur of motion, he dropped her legs from around his waist and spun her toward the door. “Palms flat on the door. Don’t move unless you’ve been instructed. Is that understood?”

She nodded, unable to force words out of her constricted throat. Her pulse raced like crazy, excitement blooming in every erogenous zone of her body. It occurred to her that someone with a little more common sense might be scared of this particular unknown. Being struck, willingly, by a man she’d just met. Not Lucy. She raced toward the experience with open arms, the thrill seeker she’d buried two years ago doing cartwheels in her belly. Bring it.