Shadow Shifters: Shifter's Claim Part 11

"Yes," she said on an exhale of breath that she'd held since the second he came close to her. "And that's normal, right?" she asked, just before stepping out into the night air.

She wouldn't go so far as to say it was cool, but the air wasn't as stiff as it had been when she was out with him earlier. This part of the balcony she'd seen through the window, the same redbrick tile that was on the deck at the spa. A clay-colored wall with a white iron bar atop for support and safety, she figured. What she didn't see was the table and the dinner he'd mentioned.

"Do we play hide-and-seek for the dinner table as well?"

With a smile that practically glided through the air and smacked her in the face, sending spikes of heat straight to her core, he replied, "This way."

Priya let him take her by the arm. She followed him as they rounded the side of a wall and walked up three steps. Then she was shocked into silence, which for her was just like keeping still, not something she was very good at. There was a pool-it was the first thing she noticed-a big pool, longer and wider than the one at the spa and it glowed. Yes, the water was a brilliant turquoise that illuminated the entire deck, including the table covered in a black tablecloth with two long, slim candles and flowers in its center. The flowers were also blue, several different shades of the color that seemed to radiate against the crystal gla.s.ses and the silver trim of the china plates. She couldn't help it, she gasped.

"I took the liberty of selecting our meal," Bas began, talking as he escorted her to the table. His tone was sort of like, "I know you're amazed at this gorgeous display I've laid out for you, but please, don't drool."

In the alternative, Priya took a deep breath, released it on a slow exhale, and promised herself she wouldn't do something so belittling. But she did sneak another gaze at the pool before taking the seat Bas offered, wondering if she'd have the opportunity for a swim before leaving this resort.

"Grilled pork chops, b.u.t.tered asparagus tips, and garlic mashed potatoes. It wasn't Mrs. Ramirez's first choice, but I told her you were a pretty special guest."

He sat across from her, lifting his napkin and settling it in his lap. Priya had already done the same and when he looked up at her she couldn't help but smile. "I'm special, huh?"

"Yes, because I've never fed a woman on my patio before."

"Where do you normally feed them?" she asked for a lack of anything better to say because his "special" remark had caught her off guard.

He paused for a moment before replying, "I usually take my dates to restaurants."

Priya simply nodded, regaining a little of her composure. "Well, I'm not a date," she told him matter-of-factly. "And this is not some romantic night. I came here for a story and you refused to give it to me. Case closed."

"I said I would help you and I will," he added in agreement, uncovering the dishes of food and reaching for her plate, ignoring her references to them not being on a date.

"You'll tell me what I want to know about Reynolds?" she asked hopefully. "I'll write a good solid story, I'll make sure I tell his side completely. I just need you to tell me everything."

He stopped fixing their plates then and looked up at her. "I need you to tell me everything," he said quietly. "Who is Malik and why is someone threatening to kill him?"

Priya had just picked up her fork, was about to touch it to her plate so she could eat, but she paused. That was an understatement, she just about froze. "What did you say?"

"I asked you who Malik was and why has the threat of his death made you risk your life for a story?"

"How do you know that?" she asked, her heartbeat racing. "How the h.e.l.l do you know that?" She slammed the fork down then, her fingers shaking.

He looked as if he might not tell her the truth, like he might try to lie, but then he didn't.

"I saw the e-mails. I know they're threatening to kill Malik if you don't deliver this story."

Priya shook her head. "No," she whispered, her throat suddenly feeling clogged. "No. I'm a reporter, I'm just following a story. A story this big could jump-start my career. It could make national headlines. That's always been my goal," she told him, swallowing every few words, trying to keep her composure, trying to keep from crying.

"You had no idea these things were connected. You were content to write the stories you'd always been writing, letting your career take its natural course. They changed the game and now you're playing by their rules."

"I'm not playing," she said and then pushed back from the table. "I'm not playing, I'm working and you're not helping! You lie and you don't keep your word. You are not helping, G.o.dd.a.m.ned you, Sebastian!"

Chapter 16.

Pain and fear engulfed her and stabbed at Bas like searing hot blades. She'd stood up and was about to walk away from the table, from him, when he stood and grabbed her. He pulled her body back to him, wrapping his arms around her to keep her still.

"Let me go! I have to go! I have to get back." Her words were cut off. She choked and tried again. "I have to get back to save him," was her quiet cry.

Bas held her close, hearing her words, hearing the despair in her voice, feeling the pain of her helplessness because he'd been there once before. He'd watched someone die when he could have acted. They were the same. No, Priya was different because she wasn't willing to just watch, to wait. She wanted to act. Unfortunately, Bas knew he couldn't let her do that, not alone.

"I said I would help you and I will. Tell me who they are and I will fix this. I will get Malik back for you." Even if it's a man she loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with. Those words didn't slip from his lips and he had to swallow hard to keep them back.

She turned then, still in his embrace, and looked up to him, eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. "Who are you? Who are they? Please, tell me."

Bas knew what she was asking, he knew what she wanted to know. But he couldn't tell her. No matter how much he wanted to help her, he couldn't tell her about his people. What he could do, however, was to help her forget, even if just for a little while. He could help her focus on the good things in this world, things she'd missed in her life, things that would make her smile and feel good about herself.

"Let's go for a swim," he suggested impulsively. The look on her face said the question stunned her too. He didn't give her a moment to think about why the request seemed out of the blue and possibly ludicrous considering their situation. He let his hands slide down her arms until he clasped her fingers. "Come, the water awaits."

"I'm not prepared to go swimming," she told him as they came closer to the edge of the pool.

There was no customary lip that clearly defined the end of the walkway and the entrance of a pool, but a smooth transition of the tiled flooring to the glowing water. That's where Bas stopped walking, turning her so that she faced him. He looked deep into her eyes, so deep that Priya blinked and attempted to turn away. The feeling that he could see something inside her, something she wasn't willing to reveal to this man of many mysteries himself, was unnerving.

"I have a plane to catch."

He shook his head, keeping their bodies close as he looked down at her intently. His gaze was so deep, so absorbing she actually s.h.i.+vered beneath it.

"Let's not think about the plane or the story or anything right now. The water is cool and it's waiting. Let's just take a swim."

"A swim? Is that all we're doing? Taking a swim?" she asked, not necessarily believing him and not quite accepting that he would lie to her at this moment.

"We're doing what's necessary," was his reply. "Very necessary for both of us."

He cupped her face then, turning her so that she was once again gazing up into his eyes. The reflection of the pool and the candlelight both had the same striking effect to his gray orbs, it made them seem translucent. And that intrigued her.

"You are a very attractive man," she admitted. It wasn't a lie but on a normal date she probably wouldn't have been so up-front about her admiration of a man's looks.

That may also be attributed to the fact that she'd never had a normal date with a man that looked like Bas, or had his bank account, for that matter.

"And you are a very alluring woman," was his reply.

After those words his suggestion didn't sound so out of the question. Her first instinct was to argue, to run like h.e.l.l out of here and catch that plane home. To do what exactly? Without Bas's help she had no story. Without his touch she only had her vibrator.

"What will I wear for this swim?"

It was a brazen question, even to her ears, and obviously to the peaks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s that hardened instantly. He leaned forward then, his thumbs rubbing along her cheekbones, lowering slightly until they sc.r.a.ped the edge of her jaw.

"We'll both wear the same thing," he whispered, so close to her now his wine-tinged breath fanned warmly over her face. "Nothing."

His lips brushed against hers as the last syllable of the word was spoken and Priya drifted willingly into his kiss. Their lips melded in a soft connection, tongues snaking out gently at first to be reacquainted. If she'd thought she'd been warm before whenever he'd only looked at her, or touched her, there was no comparison to now as his mouth seduced her slowly, methodically, inevitably.

She was on her tiptoes now, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down closer, attempting to take their kiss deeper. His hands moved from her face to her sides, dragging slowly down the length of her torso to her hips. When he cupped her b.u.t.tocks she moaned, nipping his bottom lip between her teeth. He groaned in return and she felt the material of her dress being grabbed into his hands. In a rough move that both shocked and aroused her, he pushed her back slightly, breaking the kiss, but lifting her dress up at the same time. Later, much later, Priya would tell herself that she'd had no choice, that once the die had been cast there was no turning back. Well, that die had surely been cast the moment Bas walked her out onto this balcony with this gorgeous pool and the candlelit dinner. And the second his tongue had so lavishly and seductively stroked hers she knew there was no turning back.

She lifted her arms, allowing him to completely pull the dress up and over her head. Her underwear wasn't of the s.e.xy Victoria's Secret variety, instead she wore simple cotton royal-blue boy shorts. In light of the thin straps on her dress she'd worn no bra and the night air instantly tickled her already puckered nipples.

He stood there then, for what felt like endless moments, staring at her. His eyes roamed from the top of her head over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and hips, down her thighs and to her toes, in a swooping a.s.sessment that had her feeling just a bit edgy. When he lifted his hands to cup her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she sucked in a breath. His touch was so dominating, so completely enticing she could barely inhale. Maybe it was because she hadn't been overly blessed in the breast department and his large hands made that alarmingly clear. Or was it the smooth, heated feel of his palms pressing against the swollen mounds, his fingers clenching to grip her beneath them, or the breath he sucked in as he did so.

Her eyes flew to his face at that moment, her heart skittering around in her chest at the knowledge that he was just as aroused as she was. There'd been a tightening to the features of his face, a muscle actually ticked in his jaw, his lips were only slightly parted, just enough to release a breath so he wouldn't suffocate. For a few seconds Priya allowed the power of femininity to wash over her. She hadn't come to this dinner tonight dressed in expensive clothes, drenched in diamonds, or cooing like some simpering socialite looking for a leg up in the world. And yet, he was touching her and looking at her as if she were the only female in existence. Floating on that knowledge, she lifted her hands to the three b.u.t.tons at the neck of his s.h.i.+rt, releasing them each slowly.

He watched her. She'd seen the s.h.i.+ft in his eyes as her hands moved and he followed every movement of her fingers. When she had the b.u.t.tons undone and flattened, her palms over his taut pectorals, he tensed beneath her. With a painfully slow movement she touched his biceps, then ran her fingers along the length of his arms until she reached his wrists. His hands still cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and for a second she paused, not wanting to break that contact. Then she sucked in a breath and pushed his hands away from her body. His head snapped upward, his gaze quickly capturing hers.

"We'll swim together," she whispered. "My body, with your body."

While she spoke she grabbed the hem of his s.h.i.+rt, pus.h.i.+ng it up over his sculpted abs and muscled chest. He lifted his arms, pulling it the rest of the way over his head because she might have needed a stepladder to achieve that feat. Bas was more than six feet tall so he towered over her five-foot-five height and yet their bodies still seemed to fit perfectly, at least for the moment.

"Finish it," he murmured as he tossed his s.h.i.+rt in the same direction her dress had gone only moments before.

That was a command, there was no doubt about it, and as much as Priya hated men that thought they could tell her what to do and when to do it, she undid the buckle of his belt and pants, pus.h.i.+ng them along with his slacks down his muscled thighs. Stepping out of her sandals quickly, she even knelt down and waited while he stepped out of his leather loafers to push the clothes free of his legs totally. But before she could rise all the way up, she was being scooped into his arms, then soaring through the air as he jumped with her in tow, into the glistening water.

The coolness was a blissful release as they broke the surface, Bas's arms still wrapped tightly around her.

"Nice," he said, smiling down at her, water dripping from his face.

Priya shook her head and wiped her eyes, then let her hands fall to his shoulders as she acclimated herself to their naked bodies touching-well not totally naked, the material of her panties rubbed annoyingly against her skin. With a start she realized she wanted them off. She wanted to wrap her legs around Bas's waist and feel him sinking his thick length deep inside of her. The thought made her gasp and before she could speak, Bas's lips were on hers once more. This kiss was hungry and rough, his teeth sc.r.a.ping over her lips almost to the point of being painful. His hands gripped her bottom, fingers slipping beneath the rim of her underwear. He parted her cheeks, thrusting a finger into her moistness and Priya bucked against him. In and out he stroked her until her breathing was coming in pants and she reluctantly pulled her mouth away from his so she could catch another breath. His teeth moved to her jawline as her head lolled back, down the line of her throat where he nipped and licked, licked and nipped. As she moved against the ministrations of his finger her nipples sc.r.a.ped along the cool wetness of his chest; the friction was erotic and had her thighs bucking and her voice screaming out his name as a tremendous release rippled through her body.

She felt weightless when Bas unwrapped her legs from around his waist, and not just because they were in a pool. That release had been just like the one she'd brought on herself in her apartment, the morning after first meeting Bas. It was exhilarating and yet she wanted more, needed another desperately. Bas continued to hold her close with one arm as he swam to the side of the pool then s.h.i.+fted so that her back was to the wall.

"You enjoying our swim?" he asked, a salacious smile spreading across his face.

Priya cleared her throat and her mind of the greedy thoughts. "It's nice," she finally mumbled. "I mean, the pool is really nice. How do you get the water to glow like this?"

For a moment he looked as if she'd said the wrong thing. Priya ignored that look, she needed a moment to regroup, to find the stability required to continue acting like the mature woman she was, and not some wide-eyed, nave schoolgirl who'd just had an amazing o.r.g.a.s.m.

"The pool has a pebbled finish called beveled turquoise. Together with the inground lighting it produces the glowing effect. I thought it was a very romantic touch," he told her, all while resting his hands on the wall behind her and pressing his body closer to hers.

She could have done without the touching, or benefited more if it were in strategic locations. Instead of making that known, she kept her arms to her sides beneath the cool water and gave thanks that they'd moved to a lower depth in the pool so at least her feet were now touching the bottom, providing just the stability she needed.

"It's probably a bit more than romantic," she finally admitted. "But then I'm sure that was your plan."

"You think I had a plan to get you into my pool?" he asked, moving so close now her nipples brushed against his chiseled chest.

"Not me," she replied after swallowing deeply. "Any female."

He shook his head, cupping a hand to the back of her neck. "Never 'any female,' Priya," he whispered. "Only you."

He was lowering his head to hers and try as she might Priya just didn't have the strength-or the good sense, whichever the case may be-to move.

"Uh huh," she whispered.

"Do you believe me?" he asked.

"Uh huh," she replied, not entirely sure of what he was saying, only knowing that his lips were close to hers, his arousal rubbing devilishly against her thigh.

"Do you trust me?"

"Uh huh," she moaned as his tongue traced her bottom lip.

"Do you need me?" was his next question.

She had to swallow again, close her eyes, then reopen them to make sure she wasn't dreaming. "Yes," she whispered, this time because the burning deep inside for him could only be described as need.

"I need you too, Priya. I don't know why or how this came to be, but G.o.ddammit, I need to be inside you."

That admission was chased by his hands going below the water, grabbing her underwear at both sides, then ripping them off. Her thighs moved of their own accord as she whimpered, "I need you, Bas. I need you right now!"

Bas couldn't stop now if all of the Elders were lined around this pool dressed in Speedos and holding scrolls with specific rules of the etica written in neon-green highlighter for him to see. He was all in, or rather, in a few seconds he was going to be all in ... no matter the consequences.

He grabbed Priya's pliant legs, wrapping them around his waist once more. Then he reached for her arms, lacing them around his neck because he loved the feel of her holding him, trapping him, so to speak. When she leaned forward and took one pebbled nipple into her mouth, his cat roared, loud and strong; it stood on all fours, mouth open, intention set. Bas grabbed hold of her hips, positioning himself so that his d.i.c.k nudged her tight opening.

"Do that again," he instructed her in a hoa.r.s.e tone.

When she obliged he closed his eyes, pulled his hips back slightly, and thrust forward quickly. Slow just wasn't on the list of options right now. He'd been starving for this connection, his cat begging for it and now that it was here, well, it was simpler to just say, there was no stopping him.

She gasped as he thrust his full length inside her. She was tight, her grip on his d.i.c.k like a stranglehold. He almost came instantly. For seconds and with all the strength he could muster, Bas held absolutely still, giving her a minute to acclimate herself to his size. Her head had dropped to his chest as she tried to steady her breathing.

Lowering his mouth to her ear, he asked, "More?"

She lifted her head, licking her now-swollen lower lip and whispered, "More."

Pulling back then thrusting deep once more, Bas sighed with pleasure. Out, then in, out then in. Her legs tightened around his back, fingernails digging into his shoulders. He pounded into her, losing himself instantly in the warmth of her abyss. She moved with him, giving as well as she was getting. Inside his cat paced and purred, lifting a paw to swipe at nothing and then at him for not giving in to this sooner, for not obliging their mutual needs.

Her head lolled back and he stared down at the line of her neck, that hollow that he'd adored since day one. Leaning forward, he licked her there, over and over as his hips undulated forcefully. Her mouth opened as she screamed his name.

"Sebastian! Sebastian!" she yelled and he s.h.i.+vered all over.

Each time she said it Bas felt vibrations from the lobes of his ears straight down to the tip of his d.i.c.k. His thighs shook as he continued to work in and out of her, his mind warring with the mind of his cat, his body fighting to control all three. He gripped the side of the pool for leverage as Priya held onto him. Around them water coated their bodies, lapped at the motion they made, coaxing and encouraging their release.

"More, Sebastian! More!" she yelled and Bas breathlessly obliged.

He reached for her legs, pulling them from around his waist but keeping them spread wide beneath the water. Pulling back until only his tip was inside her, he demanded she look at him as he thrust back in deeply.

"Yes!" she encouraged him. "Yes!"

Bas could hear nothing but the sound of her voice, could see nothing but the deep brown of her eyes, feel nothing but the heated moistness of her body. His incisors sharpened as a familiar rippling along his spine tempted another part of him. He closed his eyes in an effort to keep the cat at bay. But the more she called his name, the more the cat struggled to break free.