Devoured Read online

  That decided him completely. Tomorrow he would have to find another way. His name day was coming closer and the danger was growing. But for tonight, he would let her help him tame his inner beast.

  “Tess,” he said softly, searching her eyes. “Lin’del…I need you. Will you help me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, tilting her face up towards his. “Yes, please.”

  Garron felt a low growl of possession and need rising in his throat at her willingness. He buried one hand in her hair, pulled her close, and kissed her again.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  He needs me…he needs my help. I have to help him, Tess told herself as she gave in to the sweet feeling of his mouth covering hers. The justification helped. As long as she wasn’t just doing this for pleasure, she was able to relax and enjoy it. After all, she had to help Garron control his other—his dr’gin—and if touching and kissing him was the only way to do it, how could she help that? It wasn’t her fault that it felt good, was it? No, she told herself firmly, it wasn’t. So it was okay to let go and feel the incredibly intense sensations of Garron’s big, hard body against her own.

  As though he had read her mind, the big Kindred moved them back to the bed.

  “Is this all right?” he murmured as he lay down beside her.

  “More than all right,” Tess assured him.

  “I want to hold you again. Body-to-body…face-to-face,” he murmured. “With nothing between us.”

  Tess bit her lip. “I…all right. I’ll just…” She started to reach for the front clasp of her bra but he stopped her.

  “Let me.”

  Feeling nervous, Tess lay back and let him unfasten the front hook of her bra. He peeled it back slowly, revealing her breasts.

  “Gods…” His voice was hoarse. “You’re so beautiful. I love your full breasts.”

  “Th-thank you,” Tess stuttered. He had seen her before—had healed her by sucking her nipple—but laying there bare and exposed for that intense, glowing gaze still made her nervous. How much were they going to do tonight? How far were they going to go? Some of the confidence she’d been feeling earlier leaked away. Was she ready for this? Would she ever be ready for this?

  Garron moved down and she was certain he was going to start kissing and licking her breasts. Instead, he pressed his cheek to her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist—holding her close.

  For a moment she was frozen. Then, hesitantly, she began to run her hands through his hair. This seemed to be their special embrace and she liked the way it made her feel cherished and safe at the same time. If only she could stop wondering exactly what she had let herself in for, she might even be able to catch her breath and stop being so nervous.

  “I love to hold you like this,” Garron murmured, his breath hot against the sensitive valley between her breasts. “I like the sound of your heart in my ear.” He pressed closer and seemed to be listening for a long moment. Then he looked up at her, frowning. “But it’s pounding so hard. Are you all right, Tess? Do you still fear me?”

  Tess bit her lip. “Not you, exactly. I’m just not…sure what we’re going to do. Um, how far we’re going to go.”

  “How far do you want to go?” he asked gently. “I don’t want to do anything that frightens you.”

  “I…” Tess wasn’t sure what to say. How could she tell him that everything seemed frightening right now?

  “You’re still upset from your dream and from everything you told me,” he murmured, stroking her back. “For tonight, let me just hold you…and touch you. Let me bring you pleasure the way you brought me pleasure.” He looked into her eyes. “Would that be all right?”

  “And you wouldn’t mind if we didn’t…you know? Have sex?”

  “That isn’t my main objective, Tess,” he murmured. “You are.” He cupped her breast and placed a soft, hot kiss just to one side of her nipple. The tender gesture sent a thrill through her.

  “Oh, Garron…” She ran her hands through his hair again and he nuzzled against her.

  “I want to suck your breasts again, lin’del. Want to take your nipples between my lips and suck them until I make you moan.”

  Tess bit her lip again. “But I can’t…I don’t, uh, make noises during…when I…”

  “You did last night when I healed you,” he murmured. He kissed her again, this time a hot, open-mouth kiss directly on her nipple.

  “I…I did?” She vaguely remembered making some soft noises that she had tried desperately to stifle. Pierce would have been enraged to hear her make any noises of pleasure at all.

  “Mmm-hmm. I’ve never heard anything so lovely. I’d like to hear it again.” Garron sucked her nipple completely into his mouth and circled it slowly with the hot, wet tip of his tongue.

  “Ohhh…” Tess couldn’t help the soft little moan which fell from between her lips.

  Garron looked up at her, his eyes half-lidded with lust. Slowly, he released her nipple.

  “Just like that, lin’del. Love to hear your pleasure.”

  “I…” Tess felt uncertain. “I just…it’s hard. After years of trying to always be quiet. To never make a sound…”

  “I want to hear you moan,” he growled softly. “But maybe I should give you something to moan about.”

  He captured her other nipple between his lips, sucking hard until electrical tingles of pleasure ran from her tight peaks straight to the spot between her thighs. Tess moaned again—she couldn’t help it. But at the same time, she felt his big hand traveling down her rib cage to her belly. And from there, it came to rest over her pussy mound.

  “Garron?” she whispered breathlessly as he cupped her. His fingers were still on the outside of the pink silk panties she wore but she could feel their heat clearly through the thin fabric.

  “Can I touch you here, Tess?” he murmured, looking into her eyes. “Can I try to make you moan?”

  “I…” Guilt and fear rose in her and she had to ask. “Do…do you need to?”

  He nodded slowly, clearly understanding her hunger for absolution.

  “I need to. Need to slide my fingers into your panties and feel your soft little cunt in the center of my palm. Can you let me do that, Tess?”

  “I…” He needs it! Needs help to control his dr’gin, she told herself. Finally, she felt the knot of tension and guilt in the pit of her stomach begin to loosen.

  “Yes,” she whispered at last. “Yes, Garron—please.”

  He didn’t answer with words. Instead he slid his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and let them trail down to cover her pussy.

  Tess could feel his hand cupped around her but there was a cushion of air where his palm should have been touching her flesh. He was keeping his hand there, hovering just about a half an inch above her. Enough that she could feel the heat of his palm and fingers, but couldn’t quite feel his touch.

  “Garron?” she asked uncertainly, looking up at him. “What…what are you doing?”

  “Waiting,” he murmured, looking into her eyes. “Waiting until you’re ready.”

  Tess wasn’t sure what to say about that. “Until I’m ready? But how…how will you know?”

  “I’ll know,” he murmured. Then he ducked his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth again, lashing it with the tip of his tongue until Tess thought she might go insane.

  Another soft moan came from between her lips as he switched nipples and began the sweet, unbearable torture on the other side as well. God, Pierce had never done anything like this for her! He’d had zero interest in foreplay, preferring as he said, to get to the “main event.” At most, he might pinch or twist her nipples if he was feeling especially horny but the rough way he did it hurt too much to get her in the mood.

  Now Garron was sucking and licking her sensitive peaks as though they were delicious, succulent treasures he couldn’t get enough of. He growled softly with need as he tended to her, laving her nipples with his tongue one minute and sucking them as deeply int