“Open,” he ordered.

She let her lips fall open and he was already there, pushing insistently. He pulled her forward to meet his thrust, until the coarse hair at his groin tickled her nose. It took every ounce of restraint she had not to fight, to struggle. In a way it was what he wanted her to do. She knew it.

He wanted to prove it was too much. He wanted her to say stop and to walk away. He had no idea just how strong her conviction was.

A sound of impatience escaped in a snarl. Her eyes flew open to stare up at him. There was a savagery that should have frightened her, but she knew he wasn’t angry with her. No, it was self-directed. He hated that he wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him. He hated that she wasn’t going to tell him no. He hated that she would take whatever he dished out and beg for more.

“Damn you,” he hissed.

He threw back his head, closing his eyes. His thrusts became desperate, almost brutal. His groin slapped against her mouth as she swallowed him whole.

The hand holding the back of her neck became gentle, almost coaxing. Her cheeks bulged with exertion as he tunneled deeper into her throat. Then he gripped her neck harder, forcing her onto his cock.

Fluid filled her mouth, warm and sticky. She swallowed around his cock, and he moaned and jerked erratically. More came and she swallowed reflexively, her throat working around the head of his cock.

He retreated momentarily, grasped the base of his cock and tilted her open mouth higher. He worked his hand back and forth over the thick shaft as more semen dripped from the tip and into her mouth.

He continued to stroke. “Keep your mouth open. That’s it, Angel girl.”

Two, three more gentle splatters fell onto her tongue and then his grasp loosened. Slowly he eased away from her, and he pulled at his jeans, working them back over his hips.

She knelt there, heaving for breath as she swallowed the last of his release. Her hands fell to the tops of her legs and she glanced down at her jeans that were trapped mid-thigh.

She glanced back up at Micah, seeking permission to rise, to reclothe herself.

After he’d straightened himself, he reached down, holding his hands out to her. She slid her fingers into his grasp and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

Gently, he pulled her jeans up until they were around her waist again. He refastened the fly, his gaze wandering lazily over her face. When he was done, he raised his thumb to her mouth and rubbed the pad over her bottom lip, capturing a drop of his cum.

“Lick it,” he said huskily.

She sucked slowly at the tip, running her tongue over the slip of moisture.

“You make me crazy, Angel girl.”

She laughed, surprised at the cracked way it came out. “What do you think you do to me?”

“Go pick out our room,” he said. “Strip. I want you naked and in bed when I get there. I’ll bring up a tray so you can eat before we go to sleep.”

CHAPTER 22

“Thate this,” Julie grumbled.

“I don’t like it any more than you do,” Faith said from her perch on the couch.

Serena turned from her position by the window. “How long are they going to be? Damon didn’t answer his cell phone and we haven’t heard from them in hours.”

“They’re probably figuring out a plan to keep us under lock and key for the next year,” Julie said glumly.

“You should move away from the window, Mrs. Roche,” Sam said from the doorway.

Serena sighed and walked over to the couch to sit by Faith.

Julie scowled. Damon’s hulking chauffeur had been tasked with babysitting the three of them for the day. What the hell kind of chauffeur was built like a tank?

The sound of the front door opening had all three women on their feet. Damon strode into the living room, Nathan and Gray on his heels.

“How is Angelina?” Julie asked anxiously. The men’s expressions were so grim that fear scuttled around her stomach.

“She’s safe,” Damon answered. Even as he spoke, he reached for Serena, and she went to him, melting into his embrace. “She’s with Micah.”

“You ready to go home?” Gray said to Faith.

She nodded readily and took the hand he extended to her.

“We’ll stay in touch. You all do the same,” Gray said as they headed for the door.

Julie glanced at Nathan, who stood silently to the side. The intensity in his gaze caused her to shiver. He looked positively ... scary.

“You have a choice,” Nathan said as he stalked into her space. “My place or yours.”

Too unsettled to think straight, she merely stared up at him, her brows furrowed.

“We can stay at your place or my place, but you don’t stay alone, so make your choice.”

She reached out to touch his chest, seeking reassurance. “Should I be worried?”

He caught her wrist, and surprisingly, his fingers trembled against her skin. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her closed fist.

“I don’t want you to worry, honey, because I’m going to take care of you. Which means you aren’t staying alone. He saw us, Julie. He had to have seen us that night. He got to me. He can get to you.”

She swallowed nervously. “We can stay wherever you feel is best.”

He relaxed. Had he expected her to argue? Was she that confrontational? Sure, she liked her independence, but that didn’t make her a moron. She wasn’t going to sacrifice her safety or his over pride.

“I think we should stay at your place. He may not know where you live, but he sure as hell knows where I do.”

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Come on.”

He tugged lightly, pulling her into his embrace. For a moment he held her, and only the erratic rise and fall of his chest against hers signaled his unease. He kissed the top of her head and smoothed his hand over her hair.

“Let’s go home.”

She nodded and followed him toward the door.

All the way to her apartment she watched him intently. He held her hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles in a deceptively calm manner. He was wound tighter than a rubber band, and she wasn’t sure if it was the danger he thought she was in or if it was something else entirely.

Paranoia crept into her mind despite her best effort to keep it at bay

He’s not going to dump you, dumbass. Men don’t move in with you temporarily if they’re ready to move on.

Unless of course it was a man with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility. No doubt Nathan and all his buddies were extremely protective when it came to women. So was he protecting her because she was a woman or because she was his woman?

Shut up, Julie. Don’t ruin this.

When they got to her apartment, Nathan made her stay behind him until he made sure no boogeymen were prepared to jump out of her closets. She might have found it endearing and amusing if she weren’t so edgy.

He moved around her apartment like he was comfortable and at home. Lord knew he’d spent enough time there even if they’d never made the leap to official cohabitation. She frowned. Maybe she should have asked?

Screw this. She was a mess. She was tired and she wasn’t going to analyze stupid girly feelings when she was feeling particularly hormonal. Someone ought to market stupid pills. They’d make a damn fortune.

Nathan followed her into her bedroom, and before she could head to the bathroom to do her thing, he pulled her back and hauled her into his arms.

His mouth crashed down on hers. He stole her breath and devoured her lips in a greedy, passionate kiss. His hands fumbled carelessly at her clothes, ripping without care.

“Lose the pants,” he rasped between kisses.

Even as she hopped on one foot to get rid of her pants, he pulled frantically at her shirt. He forced her hands away from her jeans long enough to raise her arms over her head so he could get her shirt off. Then when she resumed shucking, he tore at her bra, ripping the lacy cups.

Even then the material didn’t come completely away, but her breasts spilled free and he cupped them roughly in his palms.

With one foot, she kicked the pants several feet away just as his mouth closed over a nipple.

Her breath escaped in a hiss as pleasure exploded through her mind.

“God I love your breasts.”

“I love that you love my breasts,” she gasped out.

She clutched his head, holding him tighter.

“You’ve got too many damn clothes on,” she complained.

“Easily fixed.”

He picked her up, his mouth still sucking her nipple, and walked to the bed, where he dumped her onto the mattress. As she lay there, he loomed over her, his hands going to his pants.

God, she loved it when he stripped in front of her. She rose to one elbow, watching appreciatively as he yanked off his shirt. His muscles rippled as he moved his arms. His chest flexed and bowed and his six-pack quivered.

Finally his pants came off, and he stood in front of her, his huge erection fisted in his hand. His eyes glittered with promise as he stalked toward her.

She gulped and edged backward.

He merely smiled and crawled on to the bed. His hand closed around her ankle, and he yanked her back toward him.

“I believe I promised you we’d have a talk,” he murmured when she was completely underneath him. “And I’m pretty sure I said it would take place with you naked. Underneath me.”

“Well here I am,” she said breathlessly.

He cupped her cheek in his palm and stroked over her skin, gently pushing her hair behind her ear. His intense gaze roamed over her face as if he was searching. For what?