That spark was so hot. So hungry.
And it echoed through every inch of her, until her whole body felt stretched taut with desire. Part of her wanted to run, to somehow break the bonds of magic and just flee. But that other part, the wild part that had been contained for so long, wanted to stay and savor the delights this man could offer. Had offered in the past. She had no idea which part would have won, simply because the choice had been snatched from her. And that, more than anything, was what infuriated her. If she was going to leap into the abyss, she wanted it to be of her own free will.
His gaze swept down her body, lingering on her br**sts far too long, making her ni**les grow taut, making them ache. Then his gaze slipped further, following the curve of her waist, stopping again on her groin, as if he could actually see the heated desire pooling there. But he didn't really need to see it, because the scent of her arousal hung on the air, an aroma as sweet as the fierce musk of desire emanating from his skin.
His smile, when his gaze finally rose, was that of a predatory wolf who had his prey in his sights. A male who knew that the prey was ready to be brought down and consumed.
"Don't do this,” she warned, even as part of her screamed for the warmth of his caress and the heat of his body on her skin and deep inside.
He stepped closer, until all she could feel was his warmth and all she could smell was the heady aroma of lust and man. “Do what?"
He raised a hand, his fingers brushing her cheek. His touch was a fire that burned through skin and muscle and bone, until it seemed her very soul quivered in fear of it.
"Don't use force,” she somehow said. “Not again. Not in any form."
"I'm not forcing you to respond, Vannah. I never have."
"Savannah,” she corrected. But it came out little more than a husky whisper as his face drew closer. Then his lips brushed hers, a kiss so sweet, so full of memories, that tears touched her eyes.
She squeezed them shut, battling to breathe, fighting the desire coursing through her limbs. Praying for the sanity to resist his seduction, when all she wanted to do was return the tenderness of his touch and take it further. So much further.
"Using the moon magic is force, because you leave me no choice."
"True.” His breath brushed her lips as he spoke, sending a warm shiver of anticipation down her skin. “But I can't let you go without seeing if our kiss is as good as I remember."
With that, he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her close as his lips found hers almost savagely. It was a kiss as wild as she remembered, as erotic as those she'd shared in her dreams. It was also a very unapologetic affirmation of what he wanted. What he intended to do.
With their bodies pressed so close, she couldn't help but be intensely aware of every part of him. From the rapid rise and fall of his chest pressing against her br**sts and aching ni**les to the heated hardness of his erection. Part of her longed to arch into that hardness, to press it firmly against that part of her that throbbed so fiercely, to rub it back and forth until heat and desire burned both of them so badly that lust and the moon's madness took over.
The saner part, the part that ached from past hurts rather than desire, was very glad that he hadn't rescinded the order to stop, simply because she couldn't follow lust's path and therefore make a fool of herself.
He broke their kiss and stepped back with a suddenness that surprised her. But for too many minutes, his gaze bored into hers, his breath a rasp that flowed over her skin like a fierce summer storm. And though she could have broken their eye contact, she didn't, simply because she needed him to see she was not that silly teenager any more. That this time she knew him for the bastard he was and would not be fooled by pretty words or the lies of tenderness in his kiss or his touch.
"So, was it?” she said, forcing a note of indifference into her voice.
He frowned. “Was it what?"
"As good as you remembered?"
His smile was almost grim. “Yes. And you can move again."
Energy tingled across her skin, unlocking the force of his earlier command. Her fingers clenched against the doorhandle, and for an instant, she debated the pros and cons of punching him out. If it weren't for the fact that she loved her job and didn't want to risk losing it, she might have let it fly.
She flung open the door instead, and then she stopped, unable to let the moment pass without at least saying something. So she met his gaze squarely and said. “If you ever, ever, use the moon's power on me like that again, I'll report you to your superiors and make damn sure you're never again allowed out on field investigations."
As threats went, it was far better than anything physical, simply because all he cared about was field work and catching his man. He'd proven that long ago.
He snorted softly. “You think I'd be transferred to desk work because of one minor event like a kiss? Step into the real world, Vannah."
"I am.” She climbed into the truck and glanced back at him. “Oh, and by the way, my father is Levon Grant."
The smug, condescending amusement fled his face. Her father might be considered a bit of a joke in certain sectors here in Ripple Creek, but he had some pretty damn powerful friends—friends that had spread his stupidly puritan views far and wide. Friends who were highly placed in many government departments, including, she believed, the IIS.
And while she might disagree with her father's views, she wasn't above using his contacts if Cade didn't heed the warning.
He didn't say anything, just spun on his heel and walked around to the passenger side of the truck. Once he'd climbed in, she started the engine, turned the truck around, and drove back to Ripple Creek.
The air in the truck was thick with tension and simmering anger—his and hers—but underneath it, desire still burned unchecked. It was a force that would not be ignored, nor would it let them free. They'd made a promise to the moon, and the moon demanded that such promises be fulfilled. And obviously, it didn't matter how many years had passed—a promise made was not forgotten.