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  “Close your eyes, Kira, remember your dreams. You spoke with me there. You talked to me. You know me.” Braden kissed her softly and she felt a flood of memories pouring into her. They were soft, hazy, dreamlike. He was right, she did know him. In her dreams he’d taken her places. He talked to her, but never once took advantage of her, not even to steal a kiss. With the memory came the full force of his passion for her. He wanted her, needed her, had ached for so long to possess her. No wonder he now seemed so eager and so frustrated. He’d waited a long time for her.

  “I want you to,” Kira said. “I want you.”

  Braden growled. Grabbing her shoulders to steady her, he thrust his cock into her hard, harder than was called for. Her muscles clenched around him in surprise, leaving her body tipped dangerously back. True to his word, Braden did not let her fall, but he didn’t lighten his assault on her either.

  This time, Kira wasn’t on top, controlling the depth. She cried out, the pressure of his thrusts greater than she’d expected, deeper than she’d allowed him before. He slowed his pace, grinding his hips in a rhythm that left his body rubbing against her clit. Her breast bobbed with each forceful thrust. It was more than she was used to. More forceful than any man had been with her before. Part of her was scared, another part was excited. No man had ever touched her like this.

  “Never think of being with another man again, Kira.” Braden’s eyes swirled, dominant and possessive. “You are mine now and I will not share you with anyone. I own you. I own all of you. You will never escape me.”

  She ran her hands up his strong arms to his neck. Normally, she would have argued, letting him know that she belonged to no man. But as he worked his body in and out of hers, she knew that it was a lie. She belonged to Braden now, like it or not. The most bizarre part of it all was how comforting that knowledge was to her.

  Kira wrapped her legs around Braden’s waist and leaned her body back, allowing him greater access to her. He snarled slightly and his mouth moved to her neck. He allowed his tongue to dance along her skin as he continued slamming his body roughly into hers. Each push, each grunt shared between them sent her closer to climax. She clawed at his arms and screamed out as he lifted her body up, continuing his hard drives into her core.

  Something tugged at her brain. There was something that she should be worried about but she couldn’t quite remember what it was. Braden’s arms held her tight and his mouth found hers. The minute his tongue entered her mouth, her body gave in to the pleasure he was trying to give her. Her legs began to spasm. Her pussy tightened around his cock, milking him. His muscles tightened and he knew that he was going to share in her release.

  “Braden…” she cried, as he filled her womb with hot spurts of his cum. “Mmm, yes, Braden, yes.”

  It hit her then what she needed to remember. The shots to prevent pregnancy didn’t work on supernatural sperm. Kira tensed.

  Braden put his forehead against hers, rocking his hips in shallow plunges as he forced every tremor from their bodies. He held her tightly to him as the rest of his seed squirted into her. Her body tensed and he caressed her back lightly, holding her up. “Do not fear, little one. You are my mate and you have been with my child since our first time together. I was able to sense the moment of conception. That is why no other man tried to lay claim to you during orientation. They, too, can smell that you are with my child, that you are my mate, my wife.”

  Kira gasped in shock and tried to push herself off him. She did manage to pull away slightly, just in time to realize that she would fall overboard if he let go of her. Flailing her arms wildly, she gripped his neck tightly to keep from falling. Braden laughed and pulled her to him, leaving himself buried deep within her. Kira looked over the edge at the raging ocean and shuddered.

  Braden kissed her forehead softly. Kira breathed heavily in disbelief. It was all happening so fast. She felt something for Braden, had since she first saw him, felt him. But to be a mate? To be a mother? She shivered uncontrollably.

  “See, did I not promise to keep you safe? The Elders are all-knowing and intervene when necessary to find mates for supernaturals. Our kind would die out if it were not for their interference. I was skeptical at first but, when I saw you purchasing your tickets, I knew that they were right. You are my mate.”

  Kira shook her head, not wanting to believe all that Braden told her.

  “Why didn’t you say something then?” she asked, but she knew the answer. She would’ve screamed bloody murder and never seen him again. How could the powers that be decide that she was a vampire’s one true mate? Did they not know her history? Did they not care? Now she was pregnant and in love with a vampire.

  Oh, God, I think I’m in love with a vampire!

  Braden let out a loud noise and bounced her up and down a bit. “It is not such a bad fate. It is good that you feel this way. To be my wife and not love me would be a disaster. It looks as though the powers knew what they were doing after all. You’re with me and your friend Clare will be with Dominik.”

  “Dominik? He’s supernatural?”

  “Yes, a lycan.”

  Kira thought about what Braden said. He’d referred to her twice as his wife. He was right. If what he said was true and she was his mate, then by law they were considered man and wife.

  He moved a hand around between them and reached down to touch her stomach. “Not if, Kira. We are mates. You see, I would not have been able to impregnate another.”

  “Clare,” Kira said, thinking of how Dominik looked at her friend. Dominik was a lycan? “Oh, my gawd, I need to find Clare!”

  “Ah, don’t worry about your friend. Dominik is a good man and will make her a fine husband. He’ll take care of her this night and many others. He too has been visiting her dreams. “

  “No, you don’t understand,” Kira panted for breath, panicking. “Clare won’t understand any of this. She doesn’t want another relationship. She’s fragile right now. If she gets hurt…”

  Guilt overwhelmed her. She knew how sensitive her friend was, and a lycan’s prowess in bed wasn’t exactly rumored to be at Clare’s level. Oh, it was her fault they were in this mess. Clare didn’t want to come and she’d practically forced her onto the ship. Once she found out… Oh, gawd!

  “Clare’s not going to like this. I’m telling you she’s…she’s really delicate when it comes to sexual things. Lycans are rough and wild and not exactly known for their control. Clare won’t know what to do. She won’t know what’s going on. She won’t understand. Please, I need to talk to her. I have to tell her. “ Kira gulped, her thoughts racing aimlessly, as her hand drifted to her flat stomach. Oh, man, she was pregnant? “Braden, I need to talk to Clare, now!”

  Braden gently kissed her swollen lips and shook his head. “No, we can’t interfere tonight. Dominik will take good care of her. Besides, she might not want you barging in on her.”

  “But, Braden, I—”

  “Shhh. It has been preordained. Clare will be safe. She knows that, has known it from the beginning. That is why she didn’t run. In her heart, she knew Dominik was meant to be there. So, no more worrying about Clare. I would have you focus on us.”

  “Bra—” Kira wiggled against him.

  Braden pressed his lips against hers, silencing her protest with a deep kiss. He began sliding his still-hard cock in and out of her again. Kira moaned, her body instantly smoothing his way with her juices. A strange calm came over her, numbing her mind to everything but him. She needed to talk to Clare but she needed to have Braden, her husband, make love to her more.

  Chapter Five

  Clare sat on the end of the bed. She looked up at Dominik as she curled her bare toes into the plush carpet of her cabin. He handed her a glass of water. She was still shaken from her ordeal in the ballroom and took the glass gratefully. She sipped it, trying to avoid looking directly at the handsome man before her.

  “I think the travel agent gave us the wrong tickets. This was supposed to be a singles
’ cruise, not a…” She looked helplessly at Dominik’s handsome face. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so much like a stranger. She frowned, wondering if she had met him at another time.

  “A supernatural singles’ cruise?” he supplied easily. Her heart fluttered. He was too damned handsome. The feelings of warmth and familiarity tried to invade her.

  Clare nodded. “I didn’t even want to come on this trip. Kira made me, well, she didn’t make me, but she bought the tickets for my birthday and I could hardly say no to her gift. I should’ve known she’d mess up like this. She never really pays attention to details when it comes to planning trips. Send her into a conference room and she’s fine. Send her to the airport and the woman will fly in the wrong direction.”

  Dominik twitched his handsome lips up slightly. In one graceful movement, he came before her, getting down on his knees. She gasped, dropping the glass from her shaking grip. He swept his hand up with lightening-fast reflexes to catch the bottom of it. Not taking his gaze off her, he set the glass on the floor.

  “What are you doing?” she asked nervously.

  “Listening to you talk,” he returned easily. “I like hearing the sound of your voice. It soothes me. I’m sorry if I’ve scared you. I forget sometimes that humans aren’t like us. We lycans are so used to using all our senses to detect a situation, not just words. We can feel how others feel. That is why I tried to instill calm into you upon our first meeting. I felt you were scared, Clare, but I also felt that you didn’t want me to go.”

  He glided up onto the bed, and placed his palms down, to lie next to her thigh. Clare clamped her legs tightly together. Dominik smiled wolfishly at the modest reflex.

  “I can feel that you still don’t want me to go,” he said. “You want me to be here with you.”

  “No, please, don’t do that. I—”

  “I knew this gown would look good on you,” he said quietly, not even trying to hide the fact that his gaze roamed over her body with manly interest. Slowly, he licked his lips.

  “You say that as if you bought it for me.” Clare had an array of emotions move through her—confused, frightened, exhilarated. Again her body tried to tell her she knew him, that he was safe, that she wanted him. It recognized him when her head did not. She was so confused.

  Dominik didn’t answer. He leaned in. His hard stomach pressed lightly to her knees. The heat from his arms soaked into her but he didn’t move to touch her. Unconsciously, she licked her lips, instantly drawing attention to her mouth. Her breath caught, held.

  “Lean forward and kiss me,” he requested, his gaze darting up to look deeply into hers. “Please, Clare. I’m trying to be patient, I promise you, but I am not a man used to holding back from what I feel. I can tell you want to kiss me and it drives me mad that you don’t. Please, Clare, I want you to.”

  “I…” Clare’s mouth fell open. Shaking herself to her senses, she frowned. Her arms flew forward to push his shoulders. He was strong—too strong for her to move. His shoulders didn’t even bend beneath her force. A low growl sounded in the back of his throat and his eyes swam with liquid amber. She jerked back and cried nervously, “Get off me. Really, don’t you understand the word no when you hear it?”

  “I am hardly on you, Clare.” Dominik gave her a dangerous grin. “And I know the word yes when I smell it.”

  Clare couldn’t answer. How could she? He was telling the truth. She did want him, or at the very least her body did. Her mind was too scared of getting hurt by the feelings trying to grow inside her. Her heart fluttered, squeezing painfully at the thought of sending him away.

  “This…” He growled and gripped her thighs and pried her legs apart, sliding his chest between her knees to hold her open to him. The dress pulled tight along her legs, keeping her hidden. This didn’t seem to faze him as he drew one finger forward. A claw shot forth from the tip, and grew slightly.

  Clare’s body lit with excitement to see him shift. She became hot under his glittering stare. Dominik took the claw and poked into the red silk. With a loud rip, he leaned back and cut the skirt open, ruining the expensive dress. She let her legs fall wide before she could think to catch them and he was again between her knees.

  “This,” he repeated fiercely, before adding, “would be me on you.”

  Warm hands touched her ankles, gliding up, parting the torn gown as they rode over her smooth, tanned flesh. She couldn’t move, could barely breathe. She didn’t dare look away. Her whole body trembled violently.

  “Why do you fight me?” Dominik asked. “I promise not to hurt you. I only want to please you, worship your body with mine. It’s what you want as well. I can tell. Why not admit it? We were meant to be together, Clare.”

  Clare was scared. She never had a problem with emotional intimacy. It was sometimes hard for her to get attached but, once she did, it was even harder for her to let go. This lycan wasn’t offering sentiments of love or crooning sweet nothings at her. She’d never been one to jump in the sack with someone who didn’t express an interest in her in other ways first.

  Yeah and look where that has always gotten me—dumped and alone.

  Dominik was bold, wild, untamed like so many of his kind. She could sense it in him. Lycans weren’t renowned for their gentleness and slow passion—not that she knew from firsthand experience. From what she’d been told, they made for rather rough, sexually demanding bed partners. Clare wasn’t a rough sex kind of girl. She’d always heard that the lycans were. They existed in a whole different culture, a culture that prided itself on instinct and quick reactions. It was said they could sometimes spot their mate with one look and accepted that. No wonder Dominik was trained to go for what he wanted. He’d most likely lived for centuries, his kind usually did. He knew he wanted her, knew she wanted him. It was simple for Dominik. Clare wished it was that easy for her. Humans were not blessed with foresight. Humans only knew how to fumble around, making mistakes and hoping one of those mistakes would lead to love and happiness.

  A low growl sounded in the back of Dominik’s throat, almost as if he was moaning. He looked at her as if he could read her thoughts. Could he? For all she knew, he could be listening in right now. Hopefully, he was. It would save her time explaining herself out loud. His lids drooped over his glittering eyes—darkest brown flecked with the gold of pure amber. He dipped his head slowly forward to her thigh and he rubbed his nose lightly over her warm skin, breathing deep. Her muscles tensed but he didn’t seem to notice.

  She watched him, too afraid to touch him in encouragement, though an insane part of her wanted to wait and see what he would do. He kneaded higher, working his fingers toward her hips. He slid her forward with his strong grip, causing her skirt to ride up, exposing more of her tanned thighs.

  A pleasantly surprised gasp sounded in Dominik’s throat as he looked at the wet lips of her body, showcased in a pair of red crotchless panties. She was so very ready for him, knew her body would be glistening with her cream. He instantly parted his lips as if waiting to lap up her taste. His fangs strained forward.

  Seeing his teeth, Clare yelped in surprise. They excited her more than scared her. She found she wanted his bite, wanted to see what it would feel like to be possessed in such a way. Frightened by her own desire more than the lycan before her, she clamped her knees down hard on him as she tried to wiggle free. Dominik frowned, a look of immense displeasure. He didn’t force her as he let go. She managed to work her hips back and away. Her thighs clamped shut, ending his show.

  “Stop,” she whispered, pleading with her own body more than him. “Please, I can’t do this, Dominik. Please, just stop it. Let me go.”

  “We must do this,” Dominik answered. “I must mark you or people will get suspicious. Your lycan suitor will come back for you. He’ll be able to tell you are unclaimed and will push his suit for you. I have no wish to see you hurt, Clare.”

  “Mark me? Like a dog?” Her eyebrows arched on her face. “You’re not going to…pee on my leg or
anything are you?”

  Dominik chuckled but his eyes dulled and she was instantly sorry.

  “I didn’t mean that like it sounded,” Clare whispered. She again tried pull away. Wiggling to be free of his hands, she tried to draw back. “I’m just not used to…well, your kind, and I make horrible jokes when I’m nervous. I wasn’t supposed to be on this cruise.”

  “Are you nervous to be near me?” His tone was soft and his eyes glinted.

  “Well…yes…I… Why would you do this? Why would you care if that other lycan comes for me? I’m not your concern.”

  “I’ve wanted you…” Dominik visibly hesitated, his gaze turning down. Clare could see his uncertainty and wondered at it. Quietly, he finished, “…since the first time I saw you.”

  “You make it sound like you wanted me a long time. We haven’t known each other a full day.”

  At that he smiled. “Mm. What would you say if I told you I’d been waiting an eternity to meet you?”

  “Uh, I’d say nice pick-up line.” Clare shivered. Her voice lacked its usual sarcastic snap. Oh, he was good.

  Dominik’s hands began to caress and drag her back to him, as he said in his low accent, “I could feel your pleasure washing over me as you showered. I felt your body trembling as if it were my cock buried deep in you, giving you pleasure. You felt me too, didn’t you, Clare? You felt me against you, sucking your nipples, pressing my body to you. And you liked it. Our minds were connected in a way that is rare even for my kind. I can still hear you in my head, the low whispering of your thoughts.”

  “Stop,” Clare knew she sounded desperate but she couldn’t help it. “Just stop it. Don’t say such things. I’m horrified that you saw me do that. I’m not like that, not really. I think you have the wrong idea about me. I—”