“And?”
She swallowed because his biceps jumped as he spoke. His medium-size lips and chiseled jawline gave him the brooding look, she surmised. His skin was tones darker than hers, like a glass of root beer. His body was prime, excellent from what she could see. She wanted him, she thought with a start. Badly.
Holy hell she was in big trouble.
Rome wanted to fuck her right here, right now.
He knew she was naked beneath that robe, knew her body was still wet from the shower, her pussy wet from arousal. With every inhale he picked up the scent of her lust and wanted to bury himself deeper inside her by the minute. He had questions and yet couldn’t focus on anything but the attraction between them.
“What were you doing in the shower?”
“What?” She cocked her head at him, her eyes narrowing as she stared quizzically. “What are you talking about?”
“While you were in the shower.” He talked slowly, putting his cell phone back into its holster and taking a step toward her. “What did you do?”
She blinked, let her arms fall to her sides, and said, “I bathed. Isn’t that what people normally do in the shower?”
“Did you touch yourself? Did you make yourself come?”
For a split second she looked as if she were about to admit truth in what he’d said. Then her lips thinned and fury flashed in her golden eyes. “Just who the hell do you think you are? This is beyond inappropriate. Everything you say to me is either offensive or downright crude. Since you found your way in you can just as easily find your way out!”
She turned away from him, preparing to stalk into her bedroom, he presumed. Big mistake.
Rome was on her in seconds, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her ass flush against his rigid arousal. Blood pumped fast and hot through his veins, thumping loudly in his ears.
“You came. Last night,” he murmured, his lips right against her ear. He inhaled deeply. “And this morning. Don’t try lying to me. Your scent’s thick and heavy, lurking all over this apartment. It’s driving me crazy.”
An elbow slammed into his ribs as she tried to duck out of his grasp. “That’s because you are crazy!”
Her struggle was futile. Rome wasn’t letting her go. “You didn’t come last night?” he asked, his hand flattening on her stomach, slipping slowly between the flap of her robe.
“I was drunk. Too much champagne.”
He growled. “Liar. You were aroused. Just as you are now.”
“You’re a jerk!”
“You’re addictive.”
Rome licked her neck, let his fingers drift farther until he touched the moist heat of her mound.
Her breathing was ragged. “Why are you doing this to me?”
Nipping at the soft skin at the nape of her neck, Rome closed his eyes to the sensations washing over him, the need, the hunger. It was bigger than anything he’d ever felt, consuming him with every second he was near her. His dick ached to be inside her, to claim her.
No!
No. Rome did not claim any female. He did not believe in the joining—the Elders’ philosophy of one true mate for every shifter. The desperate need and undying hunger they predicted when that mate was finally found were myths, something they’d made up to romanticize the dark sexual hunger of the shifter species.
Rome had that hunger. He had that darkness within him. It was living and breathing, coursing just beneath the surface every day of his life. His sexual cravings were tame compared with the majority of other shifters in the tribes. Still, they were darker than most humans were accustomed to. He felt that darkness swirling through him now, threatening to overtake him, to pour out onto this woman.
She moved slightly and his fingers slipped between her velvety folds.
“I don’t know why this is happening,” he admitted through clenched teeth. “It just won’t stop.”
He brushed over the tightened nub of her clit and she moaned, relaxing in his arms. Applying the slightest pressure, he toyed with the nub, loving the tiny sound of her muted cries in the otherwise silent room.
“I can’t stop touching you. Wanting you.”
“I don’t want this,” she whispered but parted her thighs ever so slightly in contradiction.
“You can’t help but want it. Neither of us can.”
“No.”
“It’s not going away.” It wasn’t, it was getting stronger.
Tracing his finger along the slickness of her vagina, he found her entrance, pressed one finger hungrily inside. She bucked, her head falling back onto his shoulder. Rome kissed the line of her neck, nipped her skin, pushed another finger inside her and moaned.
“I want you. Right here. Right now,” he growled, pressing his thick arousal into the crease of her bottom.
“No,” she sighed, her heart beating wildly. “No.”
Her words drowned in the sound of someone knocking at her door and Rome cursed. She pulled away from him then, glaring at him as she pulled her robe closed tighter.
“I’m saying no, Rome. And I want you to go. Now!”
“This is not over,” he whispered. “You can’t just will it to go away. I know, I’ve tried.”
“It is over! Despite what you’ve convinced yourself of I don’t want you touching me that way. It’s inappropriate. I want to keep my job.”
Rome rubbed a hand down his face. “Your job’s not in jeopardy. But your life may be.” The minute the words were out he regretted them. He hadn’t wanted to scare her. Fear would most likely lead to carelessness, and he couldn’t afford for her to be careless about her safety right now.
“What? Are you threatening me because I won’t sleep with you?”
He grit his teeth so hard his jaw almost cracked. “No. That’s not what I’m saying.” Rome took a deep breath, cursed again at the persistent knock at the door.
“I have to get that.”
“Who is it?”
She’d already walked past him toward the door. “If I said my boyfriend would that make you leave any quicker?” she said over her shoulder.
“Not at all. He’d be the one leaving,” Rome spoke as his cell vibrated on his hip.
“You’re an arrogant—” The rest of her remark was lost as he read the text message.
Rome looked up to see she’d opened the door. An older woman was standing there, holding a cat in her arms.
The cat spotted Rome and hissed, baring its teeth, arching its back in defense.
Kalina gasped, jumping back away from the door.
“Calm down, kitty,” the old woman crooned. “Kalina, she’s not going to bother you. I tell you that all the time. You’re probably scaring her.”
But Kalina wasn’t listening. She was already moving deeper into the apartment, putting the couch between her, the door, and the woman with the cat.
“Mrs. Gilbert. Ah, what can I do for you?”
“Kitty and I heard yelling,” the woman said, eyeing Rome suspiciously. “We wanted to come over and make sure you were all right.”
“I’m, ah,” Kalina stammered and looked at Rome. “I’m fine.”
Rome cleared his throat and took a step toward the door even though the cat was still hissing and narrowing green eyes at him. “Everything is just fine, ma’am. I was just leaving.”
“You were, huh?” the woman said, still giving him the stink eye. “Well, you go on and leave. I’ll just stay a few minutes.”
Rome gave her a tight smile as she stepped into the apartment and he stepped out. On his way the cat took a swipe at him with its small paw. Rome only glared at it a second before the cat shrank back into its owner’s arms.
“Oh my,” the woman said holding her cat closer.
“Have a good day,” he said. “I’ll see you soon, Kalina.” He looked at her one last time before turning and walking down the narrow hallway.