woman. I’ve spent years without any hope of finding you, and you all but dropped into my lap. You’re beautiful. You like my rather rough style of sex. I need certain things from you in the bedroom, and it’s clear you’re not only willing to give them to me, but you get off on them too. I look at you and can barely breathe sometimes. Stop fighting me on this and try.”
“You have all the control.”
“Is that so bad? I’m a male leopard. A shifter. We aren’t human, and the rules for our society aren’t the same. Put yourself in my hands and see what happens.”
“If I don’t, you’re going to take control, aren’t you?”
He nodded. His hand was once more cupping her breast, his thumb sliding gently over her nipple. “That’s who I am, Ania. It will always be who I am. Just now you gave up all control to me and look what happened.”
Her body was still singing. She’d even had a few aftershocks when he’d used the washcloth on her. She couldn’t deny the sex had been amazing. Terrifying, it was so intense, but beyond amazing.
She moistened her lips. Could she? Could she give him control outside the bedroom as well? She wasn’t certain she was capable of that. Or if she trusted him that much to put her interests before his own.
“Do I seem like a submissive yes-woman to you?”
“Why would you think I would want you to change? I like who you are. I don’t want submission from you. I want your trust, yes, but I intend to prove to you that you can trust me. Because I’m willing to lock you up to keep you safe, does that make you think I want submission? You can fight me all you want. It isn’t logical, and I think you know that.”
She sat up slowly and scooted to the headboard. Mitya immediately tucked pillows behind her back. She caught the sheet to cover herself, but he tugged it down.
“I love looking at you. I think I could spend years just staring at your body.”
That made her smile. “I would hope you’d want to do more than just look.”
His eyes took on that feral, intense glitter that sent a shiver down her spine. “I could devour you, kotyonok.” He leaned down and bit her inner thigh. It wasn’t just a nip and yet instantly she was damp again. Her nipples peaked. He smiled at her. “See, Ania. Your body knows me. It loves whatever I do to you.”
“That’s because you totally short-circuited my brain,” she admitted with a smile. That much was true. He had. The way he was looking at her made her want to experience his particular brand of sex all over again.
“Ania, can you at least concede that I’m right about your father? It is a debt of honor I must fulfill. When he can no longer stop his leopard, I have to be the one to handle it.”
She bit down hard on her lip and felt the sting immediately, knowing she’d drawn blood. It wasn’t fair to Mitya. She’d already accused him of being a murderer if he did what he said and allowed his leopard to kill her father’s. But what did she want him to do? He was right.
“I hate that you’re right. I hate that I’m not strong enough to do what needs to be done. I’ve known all along that I would have to find the courage and strength to go into his room with a gun, but I couldn’t make myself do it. I kept hoping for a miracle.” She took a breath. Let it out. Kept her eyes on his because it had to be said. She owed him that much. “Maybe you’re the miracle for both my father and me.”
He leaned forward and framed her face with his hands. “Thank you for that, Ania. I would never allow him to suffer.”
She nodded, because she was certain that was the truth. “Thank you for having one of your men relieve Annalise. She wants to stay with him. She’s been in our family since I was born, but she’s terrified of his ‘fits.’ I’m terrified his leopard will emerge and harm her before she can get out of the room.”
“Is she a shifter?”
“Yes, but her leopard never emerged. At least that was what my mother told me. She has no family other than me. I have always planned on taking care of her.”