She’d admired New Species since they’d been freed, reading and watching everything in the news about their struggles. She was a fan, even. Robert Mason’s connection to them or the reasons for his hatred wasn’t clear but she knew it must be personal for him. She was just a pawn but that didn’t mean she had to make any moves against anyone at Homeland.

“Look at me, sweetheart.”

She did as Darkness ordered and held his gaze. His were really beautiful eyes. She believed everything he’d told her about his past. To have survived that hellish experience made her admire the hell out of him. Lesser men would have broken, died during the ordeal or taken their lives just to make it end. He deserved her respect, especially since she was pretty certain she could guess what he’d been taught. He wasn’t beating the hell out of her, snapping bones just to hear her screams or flaying her alive. He had to have seen it done plenty of times.

“What is your boss’s legal name?”

“I can’t tell you. I want to but I can’t. It’s a matter of obligation. Do you understand?”

“It’s my duty to make you answer my questions.”

“We’re in a hell of a mess then, aren’t we?” She blinked back tears because the situation felt heartrending. “I never wanted to be considered a bad guy by you. I guess that’s where we stand right now, isn’t it?”

“You’re not a bad guy. You’re all female. I’ll make you aware of it as much as I am. Do we continue this or do I stop?”

“I don’t want you to stop.”

He slid his fingertip off her cl*t to stroke the seam of her pu**y. She didn’t look away from him or protest. He’d warned her of what he’d do in great detail and she only hoped she wouldn’t give in and tell him everything. Darkness might be able to get her to that point. He was just too sexy with that brooding expression and tragic past. He was the type of guy who could be her downfall.

He brought his face closer until his warm breath feathered across her lips. She wanted him to kiss her but he tilted away at the last second and dipped his face into the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes and fisted her hands together when his tongue traced her earlobe. He sucked on it, growled so the vibrations teased her ni**les and his finger returned to her cl*t to slowly stroke it.

Kat wanted to dig her hands into his hair and hold him closer. It looked silky and thick but she couldn’t reach him since his arms kept her from lifting up. She even parted her thighs to give him better access to play with her sex.

She was lost in the sensations. His mouth was heaven on her neck, only second to the building ecstasy flooding through her brain. She tried to remain as still as possible in hopes it would lessen the sexual tension. It didn’t. She tensed and moaned when she couldn’t hold back anymore. He growled in response and pressed his groin tighter against her. The feel of his rigid c**k made her aware of how empty she felt. She wanted him inside her. Just imagining what it would feel like had her grinding her pu**y against his finger. She was going to come.

He stilled and stopped kissing her. “No.”

He eased off her cl*t and yanked his hand out of her underwear. Darkness gripped her inner thigh. Calloused fingertips stroked the sensitive skin of her hip, almost touching her pu**y. He paused there and began kissing her throat again. He ran his fingers along the center of her underwear from the outside, teasing her. His fangs nipped her. She jerked from the shot of pleasure.

She stood there as he explored her with his free hand. He left her underwear alone to tease the skin on her lower belly then cupped her mound. He rubbed but when she moaned he retreated to her inner thigh, caressing it then starting the process over.

Darkness was in hell. The scent of his prisoner’s arousal was strong enough to threaten his control. He fought his desire to lay her over the end of the table, shove her thighs far apart and just bend over until he could actually discover if she tasted as good as she smelled. He’d have feared drooling if he’d been canine.

The promise of the carnal high from hearing her cries of pleasure and the way she’d move against his tongue nearly broke his will. It had been too long since he’d gotten lost in the taste, feel and softness of a female. He resisted because he would get lost. He’d make her come and she’d scream his name. Nothing would stop him, at that point, from f**king her. Just imagining how hot and wet she’d be, how she’d feel as he thrust into her made him snarl. That wasn’t the objective in their battle of wills. He couldn’t allow her to come until she told him everything he needed to know.

His dick hurt. It was steel-hard, a heavy weight of pure torture trapped inside his sweats. He spread his legs a little to alleviate the pressure in his nuts. They wouldn’t actually rupture from how tight they had become but it felt that way. He tried to ignore everything below his waist and focus on his little pretend-cat.

Sweat had broken out on her the way he knew it would. He licked some of it. So sweet. He used his fangs to bite down on a tendon in her shoulder. He didn’t use enough force to break skin but she moaned in response. Her br**sts pressed tighter against his chest as she writhed against him. The thin material of her bra did nothing to diminish the impact of those pebbled ni**les.

Don’t go there, he reminded himself. He wouldn’t risk removing her undergarments. He didn’t trust his resolve if she was completely bare. He’d suck on her br**sts and move lower down her body. That would put his mouth between her thighs and he wouldn’t be able to stop until he flipped her over and f**ked her.