In short, she had somehow made herself important to him without even trying. She was like a f**king magnet to him. It was like Rhett had said, like called to like. And this person who knew just what it was like to need control called to him.

It could be said that they were bad for each other. The problem with them was that they mirrored each other’s hunger and fed on each other’s lust, making self-control incredibly difficult for both of them. While on an intellectual level he acknowledged that the best thing he could do was leave alone this female who ate at both his control and his wolf’s, it wasn’t going to stop him from having her. He wasn’t sure if anything could. Not just because he ached for her so badly, but because he had come to view her as his.

Maybe he should feel like an ass, considering that there was a female out there who was his true mate, waiting for him to claim her. But the truth was that he didn’t want to find her. He’d been kidding himself in thinking that he could ever give up his position as Beta; it would have made him feel as though he was abandoning his pack, selfishly letting them down by choosing his own happiness over their safety and well-being. He wasn’t the first person to forsake his true mate—a person he might never even find—and he wouldn’t be the last. There was no longer anything holding him back from taking Jaime. Even if there had been, he wasn’t sure he could have fought it any longer.

His wolf very much approved of his decision to finally act on his hunger for her. “Get out of the club, and get in the SUV.”

“You can go if you want, but I’m staying.” Then came the change in the emotional temperature around her—evidently, he was now more than pissed.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” His expression and tone dared her to repeat herself, but at the same time warned her not to.

“I’m. Staying. I came here to dance and have fun. You, being the workaholic that you are, wouldn’t know anything about that.” She thought he was going to have an aneurysm, she really did.

But then a crooked smile surfaced on his face—one that made her nervous.

“Fine. You want to dance, we’ll dance.” Once again he pulled her to him, ensuring that her body was meshed to his; one of his hands clasped her nape and the other clutched her ass in a very possessive grip. Rebelliously, she stiffened and glowered at him, but Dante simply held her tighter and bit her lower lip.

“Keep your teeth to yourself!”

“You’d better get used to me biting you, baby, because it’s going to happen a lot.”

“Oh I don’t think so, Popeye. I have more pride than to jump into the bed of some guy who spent the past few months dismissing me. It’s a little too late to come knocking on my door.” Dante fisted a hand in her hair—a shifter gesture of ownership that he saw infuriated her as much as it aroused her. He pinned her with a look. “You won’t be jumping into some guy’s bed , Jaime. You’ll be in mine. Oh yeah, deny it if you want, but we both know it’s going to happen. I’m getting inside that pu**y. You’re going to take every inch of me, and you’re going to love it.” She should not have liked the dominance in his tone or the determination in his gaze, yet, perversely, she did. She really shouldn’t have liked that there wasn’t a hint of compromise in his tone either, yet, odd as it was, she did like it. That didn’t mean she was going to give him what he wanted, though. Oh no. If he thought he could ignore her and that she’d jump when he finally decided to call, he was so wrong. “Not a chance, big guy. Besides, I’m not your type, remember? You don’t think of me that way. You like your females to be nice and slim.”

Stunned, Dante froze. Either Trick had told her what he’d said, which was unlikely, or she’d overheard their conversation. Suddenly, he felt like shit.

“There’s no need to feel bad. This might come as a surprise to your overinflated ego, but I no longer want you.”

“Yeah? Well, the scent of your arousal tells me different. You’re already wet—you can’t help it. Just like I can’t help that I’m hard as a f**king rock whenever you’re near.”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t get a response from my body. It doesn’t mean I have to act on it.”

“But you will, baby. You will because you know how good it will be. Now dance with me.” It was both a demand and a dare.

He wanted to play, did he? Well, Jaime would see how he liked a reversal of roles. She would see how he liked it when someone else took the lead. Jaime relished the surprise in his eyes when she twined her arms around his neck and ground against him. Allowing the pounding, throbbing beat of the music to invade her body, she swayed and writhed and swiveled her pelvis. Dante moved in sync with her movements, and their dark, sensual dance had her getting wetter by the minute.

As they swayed and grinded, he skated his hands over her back and roughly cupped her ass, building a need inside her that soon had her liquid and pliant against him so that it was he who was leading the dance—sneaky f**ker. Jaime soon regretted beginning the dance. She’d just wanted to tease him for being a jerk, but she’d ended up teasing herself. The way her hardened ni**les rubbed against his chest was sending teasing bolts of pleasure down to her clit. She was wet and aching and had never felt so empty. Honestly, she didn’t think she had ever needed relief so badly in her life.

This was sexual torment as its worst. She gasped as he bit her earlobe and sucked it briefly into his mouth before speaking into her ear.

“Turn around.” Again his words were a demand and a dare. Slowly she turned in his arms, though Dante was pretty sure she only did it because she wasn’t prepared to back down. “Arms around my neck.” Very slowly she raised her arms and hooked them around his neck, making her arch slightly against his chest. “Very good. Now keep them there.” Jaime involuntarily shivered as, breathing hotly on her nape, he very, very slowly slid one of his hands up over her dress until it was resting just below her br**sts. His other hand slid seductively down her flat abdomen and inched closer and closer to the juncture of her thighs, but he stopped just as the tips of his fingers reached just above her clit. The contact was already too much, but no way would she struggle free and let him see that. No, she’d withstand the pleasure and show him just how little she wanted him. Of course it would be a total lie, but he didn’t have to know that.

Dante kissed his way from her nape to her ear. “You’re mine now, Jaime.” He let his hand creep up and knead her breast. “Not just for one night. When I say you’re mine, I mean you’re mine.

But see, here’s the thing. Now you have to deal with me, and I’m not easy to deal with.” He thumbed her nipple, enjoying the way she jerked and moaned.

Jaime was about to contradict his claim to want more than one night, but then his fingers dipped down and brushed once over her clit. Officially distracted, she arched against his hand, but he didn’t repeat the action. Instead, his hand ever so slowly glided down her inner thigh while the other moved on to her other breast, squeezing hard. Hearing a moan slip from her, she gave herself a mental wallop. She was supposed to be withstanding the pleasure, wasn’t she! Yeah, okay, she could do that.

Really.

As his hand reached the edge of her dress, he snaked it underneath and abruptly cupped her possessively. “Mine, Jaime.” Offended by the thong that acted as a barrier between him and what was his, Dante effortlessly snapped it off and stuffed it in his back pocket. Then his hand was delving underneath her dress again and his fingers were skimming through her folds. “So wet.” His finger circled her opening, and instinctively her h*ps shifted toward his hand. “That’s it, baby.” He harshly plunged his finger inside her, startling a loud moan from her, and swirled it once, twice.

Jaime’s eyes drifted shut as bliss and heat rushed through her body like wildfire. Damn it, hadn’t she only moments ago told herself that she’d withstand the pleasure? Snort. Some resolve she had. One orgasm wouldn’t be so bad though, would it? Deciding that it certainly wouldn’t be, she clung to his neck, moaning, as he began to slowly thrust his finger in and out of her. Every thrust was masterful, just like him.

“Hot. Tight. Wet. I can’t wait to feel you around my cock.” He drove another finger inside her, wrenching a groan from her. “Do you like the falcon, Jaime?” She opened her eyes and twisted her neck to find Dante watching her intently. Right then, he looked dangerous. His lips were fixed into a hard line, his nostrils were flaring, and his eyes had gone wolf.

“Is he what’s got you this wet?

The sensible answer was no. It was also the truthful answer. She shook her head.

“So this is for me?” He wiggled his fingers inside her before thrusting again. Not satisfied with her nod, he said, “Answer me, Jaime.”

“Yes.”

He rotated his fingers. “Do you want to know what’s going to happen when we get back? I’m going to f**k you. Really, really f**k you. Fuck you like no one ever has. You want that, don’t you?” The way her inner muscles contracted around his fingers told him the answer to that. “Good, because it is going to happen. And you’re going to scream for me. Not for Pretty Boy, not for the falcon, not for anyone else. Me. Only me.” He thrust his fingers hard and deep as he took her mouth. Like last time, the kiss became pure animal lust and he was growling into her mouth as she was groaning into his. “That’s it. Fucking come.”

As if that was what her body had been waiting for, Jaime’s cl**ax washed over her and he caught her as she sagged against him. Hell, her legs were freaking shaking. The guy was lethal. When Jaime opened her eyes, it was to see his lips twitch into a smile of victory. It should have pissed her off, but as that had been one hell of an orgasm, she’d overlook the cockiness.

He slid his fingers out of her and brought them to his mouth, sucking first one and then the other without once removing his gaze from hers. Her darkly rich taste burst on his tongue, had him wanting more. He fully intended to have more. “I knew you’d taste good. Now it’s time to go.” This time, Jaime didn’t argue. She probably should have, but at this point all she could think about was having him inside her. She’d lecture herself about the whole I-shouldn’t-jump-when-he-calls thing tomorrow. Right now, she needed him inside her. After giving Ivy and Riley—who had been watching in open-mouthed fascination—a brief wave, she allowed Dante to lead her out of the club. Neither of them spoke throughout the journey home. In fact, neither of them said even one word until they were inside his room.

No sooner had he shut the door than Jaime found herself pinned against it. His mouth abruptly landed on hers, and his tongue swept inside like it owned her. She doubted that there was anyone in the world who kissed like Dante; with his tongue, teeth, and lips he dominated, devoured, and conquered. Quickly the kiss became raw and primitive, and so damn deep that it was as if he was tugging at her soul through his mouth. Every single nerve in her body went on high alert, eager and impatient for him to fill her and rid her of that burning ache that just wouldn’t go.

She yanked at his T-shirt and slid her hands underneath, running them along the smooth yet firm abs that his T-shirt had only hinted at. His stomach clenched and he growled as she raked her nails from his collarbone down to the waistband of his jeans. She gasped when he abruptly bit down hard on her lower lip and sucked it into his mouth. Her wolf liked the possessive act.

Finally pulling back, Dante let his gaze travel the length of her body. That little dress clung to her like a second skin, highlighting those delicate curves he loved. He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to bunch up that devil’s creation around her waist or strip it off completely so he could get a better look at what was beneath. He had pictured her na**d so many times, it bordered on ridiculous.

Tonight, he would find out just how accurate his imagination had been.

Gripping her wrists, he pinned them above their head. “Keep them there. Now watch while I touch you.”

That deep, dominant, controlled voice sent a feverish tremor through her body. Seeing his eyes ablaze with determination and possessiveness, Jaime understood exactly what she would be getting herself into. He wouldn’t be like the guys she was used to, wouldn’t be satisfied with just a hint of submissiveness from her. He would be intense, greedy, commanding, and would insist on her surrender—something she didn’t like to do. So why was she wetter than she’d ever been in her life?

As Dante skimmed her lower lip with the pad of his thumb, she flicked it with her tongue.

Smiling, he trailed his thumb down her chin, the column of her throat, and down the valley between her br**sts. Reaching the front clip of her bra, he flicked it open. His hands slowly slid the bra and dress aside so that they framed her bare br**sts. They were round, full, and perfect. He molded them in his hands, thumbing the rosy, taut ni**les that were begging for his attention. It would be cruel to disappoint them.

Startling a gasp from Jaime, he swooped down and took a nipple into his mouth. He sucked, nibbled, licked, bit, and drew on her nipple with his teeth. Over and over he did it, changing the rotation each time. Soon her breathy moans turned into sobs as she tugged on his hair, wanting him to release her.

Dante arched a brow at her. “Hands above your head.” With a low growl that made him smile, she did. He licked his way to the other nipple, loving the uniquely sun-kissed taste of her skin. He lavished it with the same overwhelming attention until once again her moans were sobs and she was struggling against him. He was so tempted to take her right there, but he wasn’t finished with this body yet. “I want to look at you.” In seconds, he had whipped the dress up and over her head and slung the bra aside, giving him an unobstructed view of that body that he was obsessed with having, owning.