Delilah squirmed again, twisting at her captured wrists. He could all but hear the gears spinning in her head as she calculated how to get out of her current predicament. Her body softened beneath him, her legs lifting to clasp his hips. So that was the way she wanted to play it? He fought a grin. She couldn’t make this easier for him if she tried.
“I’m certain, if we really want to, we can come to a…mutually beneficial arrangement to resolve this issue.” When she tilted her hips up to rub her sex against his, he had no idea how it was possible, but his cock grew even harder as he settled into the crux of her slender thighs. Fire fisted in his belly, spreading until he thought his body would explode out of his skin. He wanted her. Every part of him craved her. A knowing little smile curved the corners of her full lips, and something close to triumph flashed in her green eyes when he couldn’t stop himself from thrusting against her softness.
“An arrangement?” He slid his tongue over his teeth. “You might be right about that.”
“What did you have in mind?” she purred. Her grin widened. He allowed her that small moment of victory before he smiled back. With teeth.
“You, in my bed.” He stroked the pad of his thumb over the inside of her wrist. The skin there was soft, warm. He wanted to explore the rest of her and see if all of her felt as good. “In exchange, I won’t alert the authorities to your little breach of my security system. Then the ruby stays with me, and you’re free to go.”
“I think I can handle some time in your bed.” She glanced over his shoulder to the wide mattress. Her shoulder lifted in a delicate shrug, her grin never wavering. “It looks comfortable enough.”
He waited a beat. “The deal is for a full week of your time.”
“A week?” Wariness slid over her expression again, the smile winking out as though it had never been.
“It’s a very valuable ruby.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Maybe it’s worth a bit long—”
“A week is fine.” Her lips lifted in a snarl; she was obviously not pleased by this new turn of events. Her fangs slid out of her gums. “How do you know I won’t kill you in your sleep?”
Easing his grip on her arms, he moved away from her to sit back on his heels. “They’d catch that on vid, too, wouldn’t they?”
“You’d still be dead.” Raising herself up to her elbows, she didn’t try to escape.
He rolled his shoulder in a shrug, rising to his feet. “Some things are worth the risk, kitten.”
Sliding his gaze down her body, he let it heat with appreciation. Her mouth formed a moue as she sat up and rubbed her wrists. His talons had left red marks on her creamy skin, and he felt an unprecedented pinch of remorse. It must be the mating thing. He rarely regretted anything he did—he planned too well for that to be a problem.
She leveled him a frank look. “I don’t know what your kink is, but if you think for a nanosecond that you get to hurt and humiliate me, you’re going to find yourself gutted like a fish.” She slid out her razor-sharp claws to emphasize her point. “That isn’t part of our deal.”
“I don’t hurt women.” His gaze was drawn to the redness around her wrists and he fought a wince. “Usually.”
“Just coerce them into having sex with you?” She shot him an incredulous look as she pushed to her feet.
He let a little grin kick up the side of his mouth. “When the situation warrants it.”
“How do I know you won’t go back on your word and turn me in after you have what you want?” Her blond brows rose, and she propped a hand on her hip.
He chuckled. “Believe it or not, I keep my word. You’ll just have to decide if it’s worth the risk.”
“Fine.” Her hands relaxed at her sides, and she made no move to leave.
“Good. You can start now.” He stepped back to settle into a comfortable chair. He steepled his fingers together and pressed them to his lips, watching to see what she would do. It was easier if she stayed by choice, but he wasn’t above keeping her by force. He did have her on vid, as he’d said. He was sure he could have her found if he needed to. It would be an inconvenience he didn’t want or need. Having a mate at all was an inconvenience he didn’t want or need. A humorless smile formed on his lips. “Strip.”
Shrugging, she slid her nail in the seal of her armored vest, and it parted down the middle. Dipping a narrow shoulder, she let it fall to the floor. Then she pulled a tight, long-sleeved shirt over her head. Her breasts were high and firm. The nipples were a soft pink, and he wanted to suck them into his mouth until they darkened to raspberry. The thought alone was enough to make his cock jump. Her gaze locked on that portion of his anatomy as she unsealed her pants and pushed them down her legs. Her hips were a small flare from her waist, her body long, lean, and willowy.
When she bent to unfasten her shoes and remove the last of her clothing, he saw that a green dragon nanotat, which matched her eyes, wound around her ribs and up her back. The tattoo moved beneath her skin, the beast looking real. Another nanotat, this one a small monarch butterfly, fluttered on one hip. A tiny gem sparkled from her navel. Interesting. He wanted to tug on it with his teeth and see if she gasped. He wanted to lick the tats, slide his tongue over every delicious micrometer of her smooth body.
Anticipation made his heart pound and his cock ache, but he schooled himself to patience. He was very good at waiting for the right moment to act.
She stepped toward him, her body a study in feline grace, the light kissing her skin as she moved. When she was within a meter of him, he held up his hand. “Stop.”
A pale brow lifted at the command, but she obeyed. She slipped a fingertip down her cleavage, around her belly button, and over the butterfly nanotat. “Does the pretty birdie just want to watch? I can put on a very good show.”
Her smile and her movements were too practiced. He didn’t want to be seduced as he was sure she’d done with other men. They might have been satisfied with that, but he was her mate. He wanted her genuine reaction.
And he would have it. Now.
Crooking his finger, he had her bend toward him. When she was within reach, he bracketed her jaw in his fingers, holding her in place. She went rigid, her muscles tensing. His lips brushed over hers gently, and he could feel her tiny jolt of surprise.
Her eyes fluttered closed as he licked his way into her mouth, and he shut his eyes to focus on the flavor of her. His mate. His tongue twined with hers, and the taste of her sank into his senses. He’d never rid his mouth or memory of the essence of her, some instinct locking it in forever.
He let his free hand skim over her shoulder, his fingertips brushing her collarbone before slipping down to the upper slope of her breast. He cupped the curve, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her velvety crest. A grunt of pleasure came from his chest as he was rewarded by the tightening of her nipple. The little point stabbed into his palm, and he flicked his nail over it. She made a tiny noise in the back of her throat, set her hands on his naked thighs, and raked her teeth over his lower lip.
The scent of her wetness reached his nostrils, and he bit back a smile. Didn’t think he could turn her on, did she? This wasn’t going to be a duty she suffered through.
Then her fingers slipped up his leg to wrap around his dick. He groaned at the contact, her touch enough to make his thoughts evaporate into nothingness. It was a reaction he’d never had with a woman before. He didn’t like her effect on him so soon, yet he wanted more.
He broke the kiss, his chest heaving with each breath. Clinging to his control by the thinnest thread, he pulled her hand away from him. He wanted it wild and