He’d known that. Deep down inside, he’d known she’d waited for him. He slowly removed his fingers and brought them close to his face. She smelled like lavender all over. Even there. He licked at his fingers. “You even taste like lavender. Your scent drives me wild.”

Before she could respond, he whirled her around, hands hard on her skin, taking her down to the bed, sprawling her out for him like a banquet. Bijou gasped, her long lashes fluttering, but he gave her no chance to protest, his mouth coming down hard on hers, robbing her of breath. He kissed her until her body melted into his, soft and pliant, once more moving restlessly beneath him.

With one hand he caught both of hers, and stretched her arms above her head, pinning her wrists to the mattress. Slipping one leg between her thighs, he opened her to him. Her scent was as wild and as elusive as she was. For so long, he’d always felt empty. He’d tried filling his nights with women, and when that didn’t work, he turned to his career. Nothing seemed to help, until this night. This woman. He hadn’t had her yet, but the taste and scent of her filled his every empty space until he burned for her. Knew her. Would never be complete again without her.

Maybe he’d never been complete and that was why his leopard was always prowling and hungry, so close to the surface. He recognized her in some strange, primitive way. She belonged with him. They belonged. His fingers curled around her throat, tipping her head back to expose her throat to him. He bent his head and kissed that long, slender line. She smelled so good, and her skin was unbelievably soft.

Her body kept moving, undulating, her hips bucking, her leopard pressing close to the surface helping to drive her need to mate. Her breath came in ragged gasps, each lifting her breasts and pushing them temptingly toward him. He kissed his way down to one taut peak and blew warm air over her nipple.

He stared down into those wild, glowing eyes. So beautiful. Her leopard was close, driving her so that her body couldn’t stop moving beneath his, rubbing along his, until the roaring in his ears became a demand.

He stroked his palm down her throat, along her collarbone to the swell of her breasts. The rise and fall as her ragged breath left her lungs only added to the terrible temptation. He lowered his head and drew one dark nipple into his mouth. She cried out, and thrashed beneath him. He suckled, using the edge of his teeth to tug and pull, the weight of his body keeping her pinned and open to his exploration.

The little sounds escaping her throat drove him wild. His mouth pulled strongly at her breast while his fingers tugged and rolled her other nipple. She gasped and arched her body. He knew she was too innocent for such rough play but he couldn’t stop himself. Each time he tugged and pulled, each time he bit, her hips bucked and she thrashed deliciously.

“Remy!” She tried to reach for him, but he stopped her, pushing her hands back against the mattress.

“Shh, Blue, just let me have my way right now,” he cautioned. There was no turning back at this point, the scent of lavender and honey drifted up to him, calling, and he was lost.

Bijou couldn’t take her eyes off the man she’d fantasized over nearly her entire life. No one else had ever measured up. No one else had ever made her body grow tight and needy or made her breasts ache or caused a flood of hot, welcoming liquid.

Physically, Remy was beautiful. There was no other word for it. He was the most sensual, sexy man she’d ever encountered. She dreamt of him, erotic, hot dreams she didn’t dare remember when she was awake. He was tall and broad-shouldered with hard, defined muscles that rippled every time he moved. And when he moved, it was with such grace even that affected her, robbing her of her ability to think reasonably at times.

His hands moved over her with such expertise, rough against her sensitive breasts and soft, inner thighs. He had the most seductive mouth and he used it, his strong white teeth nipping and tugging, occasionally biting gently or with enough pressure to make her yelp, even as his tongue eased the sting.

She couldn’t catch her breath, her head tossing on the pillow, but she couldn’t take her eyes from him. He wrapped one arm around her hips, pinning her down, the other hand pushing her legs apart so he could wedge his broad shoulders between her thighs.

“Stay still, Blue. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

His voice growled with hunger, and his eyes glowed a fierce nearly golden color. He looked as if he might devour her. Her heart went crazy, pounding in her chest and if she had one single iota of self-preservation, she would have run for her life, but she was desperate for him, for anything he would give her.

Her body was impatient for his, undulating without inhibition on the bed, trying to entice him, to tempt him. She wanted him as out of control as she was, her fists gripping the sheets, twisting and holding to stay still as he’d commanded.

He kissed his way down her breasts, across her flat belly. Her breath exploded from her lungs when his tongue dipped in her navel and licked and flicked there. She heard herself pant and her hips jerked, but he held her pinned with his casual strength. Again she felt the edge of his teeth as a warning, but that only inflamed her more.

His hand stroked up and down her thigh, and her entire body shuddered in response. She swore her temperature had soared out of control and each time his hand slipped over her thigh, hot liquid seeped from her body and deep inside her muscles contracted and pulsed in need.

He looked down at her with his strange cat’s eyes, at the moisture seeping from her body and her writhing hips. A smile of pure male satisfaction, of total possession, as if what he was looking at belonged solely to him, softened the curve of his mouth. And she supposed she did belong to him. A small sob escaped.