then suddenly he was there.

"oh."

her heart slammed against her chest as his finger swept through her moist heat. had she been struck by lightning? it seemed impossible that the electric jolt could come from a mere touch.

then caine proved that his touch truly could create electricity as his finger returned to find a tiny pearl of pleasure.

"do you like this, pet?" caine rasped.

like? she groaned. she was quite certain that she could become addicted to his skillful caresses.

but as the shimmering excitement began to clench her muscles, she grasped his face in her hands. "i want you, caine," she husked. "i want you inside me."

the sapphire eyes darkened with feral hunger, but surprisingly he made no move to pull her from the bench and have his wicked way with her. instead, he returned to brush his lips over her breasts before skimming his mouth slowly down her quivering stomach.

what the devil was he doing?

the answer came when he gently tugged her legs even farther apart and, leaning forward, replaced his seeking finger with his tongue.

sweet, sweet heaven.

forgetting her aching need to feel him take her innocence, cassie moaned, her fingers knotting in his hair as he stroked and nibbled and teased her with unmistakable skill. not that she minded his obvious experience, she acknowledged as his tongue penetrated her tight channel before returning to lavish attention on that small knot of nerves. not when she was the recipient of his exquisite talent.

her breath came in short pants as the pleasure spiraled even higher, her toes curling in anticipation. oh lord, it was glorious. so glorious.

easily sensing she was nearing the peak, caine clamped his arms around her thighs and sucked her between his lips.

it was all that it took to make cassie shatter in pure ecstasy.

crying out, she was barely aware that she was trembling from head to foot. not until caine gave her one last sweep of his tongue, then gently tugged her to her feet and wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"shh," he whispered into her hair, his lips stroking her temple.

she clutched at his shoulders, the tiny quakes of pleasure still shooting through her. "that was . . ."

he chuckled as she struggled to find the words. "yes?"

"almost perfect," she breathed.

she felt him tense beneath her hands, his head lifting to regard her with a searching gaze.

"almost?"

she allowed a smile to curve her lips at his male pique. clearly, he wasn't pleased by her refusal to admit that what had just happened had been the most spectacular event of her life.

then, deliberately holding his gaze, she allowed one hand to drift down his chest. his breath caught as she traced the tense muscles of his stomach.

"cassie?"

"i wanted to share our pleasure."

he groaned, his hand reaching to grasp her wrist. "we will."

"when?"

his jaw clenched, his breath rasping through his gritted teeth. "once the danger is past and you can think clearly."

although considerably smaller than caine, cassie was a pureblood were with a strength that always caught others off guard.

with a twist of her arm, her wrist was free of his grasp and her hand was continuing its downward path until it at last reached her goal.

"you might be my protector, but you're not allowed to tell me that i can't decide what i want." she wrapped her fingers around his thick erection. "or when i want it."

he cursed, but he was wise enough not to try and get into a tug of war with her hand. not when she was holding such a tender object.

"i'm not taking your innocence," he growled.

"fine." already prepared for his stubborn refusal, cassie pressed her lips to caine's chest, just above his pounding heart. "then i'll find another way for us to share this moment."

"christ," he breathed as she planted a trail of kisses to his beaded nipple.

she didn't have any idea if it would feel as good for him as it had for her, but she was hoping he would give her a clue. with perfect timing, he gave a low groan, his hand threading through her hair to hold her against him.

it was all the encouragement she needed.

allowing her wolf out to play, she tasted the nipple with her tongue even as her fingers explored the hard length of his erection. it was astonishingly smooth, and warm. deliciously warm.

curious, she skimmed down his shaft, finding the heavy sack at the base. he jerked beneath her touch, and tilting back her head, she met his wild gaze. "i'm sorry, did i hurt you?" she husked.

"i . . ." he clearly struggled to swallow. "no, it didn't hurt."

"ah."

he'd enjoyed her stroking his arousal. a lot.

with a wicked chuckle, she skimmed her fingers back to the tip of his cock, finding a tiny drop of moisture. she rubbed it lightly, circling the broad head before returning downward.

she repeated the caress twice more before he released an explosive sigh. "for the love of god, cassie, don't torture me."

although the thought of making caine plead for release was tempting, she sympathized with his desperation. they'd been hurtling toward this moment for weeks. later, she would enjoy the heady power of making him wait for hours before she gave in to his pleas.

she lifted herself on tiptoes to press her lips softly to his mouth.

"show me."

with a choked groan, caine reached to wrap his hand over her fingers, pressing them tight against his cock. then, slowly he urged her to stroke up and down the shaft, his breath hissing through his teeth as his hips surged forward.

cassie could feel the blood pulsing beneath the velvet skin and smell the rising musk. instinctively, she quickened her pace, pleased when caine gave a low growl of approval.

"yes . . . that's it," he ground out, his hand cupping the back of her head and urging her face toward his neck.

her wolf knew exactly what he wanted and without hesitation she sank her teeth into the side of his neck, the raw male taste of him on her tongue sending another climax pulsing through her.

at the same time, caine gave a shout of joy as he pumped his erection in her hand, the warm spray of his seed covering her stomach.

"hmm. that was nice." cassie licked the trickle of blood her teeth had drawn. "can we do it again?"

several hours later caine lay with cassie wrapped in his arms on one of the wide beds. predictably, she had fallen fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, while he'd remained wide awake, watching her in stunned amazement.

he was a fool.

no surprise there, of course. he'd worked so hard to keep his hands off this beautiful, all-too-vulnerable were. cold baths, long runs across the desert, hours of patrolling the sixty-story hotel for the least hint of danger.

but one soft touch of cassie's hand and all his good intentions went flying out the window. or rather, flying out the shower. he swallowed a harsh groan as he recalled the afternoon in vivid detail. every kiss, every tentative stroke of her hand, every soft groan.

his only consolation was that while he might have stolen her innocence, he hadn't committed the ultimate sin of taking her virginity.

why was that so important?

caine grimaced, not wanting to consider the dangerous question. it was easier to tell himself that he was simply being noble. that he wanted to wait until cassie was out of danger and capable of considering the consequences with a clear mind.

he didn't want to acknowledge the tiny voice that warned taking her virginity would somehow tie him irrevocably to the beautiful were. and that once he'd truly made her his lover he would never, ever be willing to let her go.

no matter what she wanted.

mate . . .

with a low growl, he fiercely squashed the terrifying word.

nope. not going to go there. things were bad enough.

as if to emphasize the point, cassie turned in her sleep, her slender body snuggling into him with a trust that made his heart shift in his chest.

hell. he should never have allowed her to climb into bed with him. not just because he was a full-blooded male not a damned saint, and the feel of her warm curves covered by nothing more than the tiny teddy he'd been stupid enough to buy was destined to keep him hard and aching throughout the long night. but because the sheer intimacy was touching him places he didn't want to be touched.

of course, it wasn't as if he'd had a choice. one pleading glance from those big emerald eyes and he'd been a lost cause. pathetic. with a rueful smile, he buried his face in the silken softness of her hair. what was a poor man to do?

absently running a soothing hand down her back, caine was near the point of drifting off when he abruptly felt cassie's muscles tense. he frowned, lifting his head. was she dreaming or had his slight touch wakened her?

he had his answer the moment her eyes opened to reveal the beautiful green was already veiled by a disturbing white film.

"cassie." he grasped her shoulders, ridiculously attempting to shake her awake. "cassie."

oblivious to his presence, cassie shrugged off his hands and scooted off the bed. then, with mechanical movements, she headed out of the bedroom.