I wanted to prove him wrong, to show him what I could do, to make him understand my training, and to demonstrate the skills I’d honed at the university.
Which was what prompted me to slide off the stool into his personal space before going to my knees before him. “Test me, Ryder,” I said, inviting him to act. “Let me show you what I can do.”
17
Ryder
Fuck.
I’d only meant to tease her, but my humor died the moment she dropped to her knees.
She was stunningly beautiful in this pose with her blue eyes radiating challenge and conviction—the perfect combination for a lethal allure.
How could I say no to such perfection? Such intrigue? My stomach tightened in anticipation, my cock throbbing with the need to comply with her request.
How long had it been since I experienced the pleasure of a woman’s mouth? I couldn’t really remember, my interest in such things having waned over the last century. But Willow had reawakened my need, her presence a provocation to a part of me I buried long ago.
What was it about her that enamored me so completely? Was it just a result of spending too many years alone? Or maybe this connection was a result of a simple desire to feel human touch again.
I reached for her and ran my fingers through her silky hair, marveling at her wondrous courage in what I deemed a cruel world.
If she wanted me to test her, I wouldn’t say no.
“Are you sure you’re ready for me, pet?” I asked her as I drew my thumb along her jaw to her chin. “I’m not easy like your mortals at the university.”
Blue fire burned in her irises, her inner flame blazing to life inside her. “I’m ready.”
So confident and poised.
Mmm. Yes, this would be fun.
“All right. Follow me.” I walked backward toward the living area. When she started to stand, I tsked at her. “Oh, no, pet. I want you to crawl. Prove to me you want this.”
Her pupils dilated in response, her resolve palpable.
And then she began to move, her limbs carrying her across the floor with a fluid grace that reminded me of a wildcat. How appropriate, considering her notable ferocity. This woman had survived hell, but rather than lose herself to her scars, she allowed them to strengthen and embolden her. Her experience gave her life, and that was one hell of a turn-on.
I settled into the room’s only chair, the couch adjacent to my left. My position allowed me to watch Willow’s every move, our eyes locked together in a dangerous dance of expectation. I could smell her arousal, the aroma a taunt in the air that intensified my interest. But it was her expression that truly held me captive.
She boldly held my gaze, the defiant look a startling contrast to her submissive crawl, and it set my blood on fire for her.
This female spoke to me on a level I didn’t quite understand, yet she hadn’t said a single word.
When she reached my sprawled legs, she slid her palms up my calves to my thighs without asking for permission. Instead, she conveyed her intent with her eyes, taking rather than giving, and silently promising me that I would enjoy whatever she intended to do. It created an intoxicating environment of push and pull.
Willow knew I possessed superior genetics, that I could snap her pretty little neck in a heartbeat. Yet in this moment, she demanded control. And so I temporarily allowed it, curious to see what she would do next.
Her fingertips trailed upward to the band of my black sleep pants. No hesitation. Just pure seductive female.
“Take off your shirt.” Technically, it was my shirt. But she could keep it. The thin white fabric looked better on her than it did on me.
She paused to comply in a sultry display of eroticism. Her perky tits made my mouth water, her rosy nipples erect and begging for my bite. I nearly groaned at the sight, my stomach burning with an intense need to pull her into this chair to straddle my aching cock. Only, her palms returned to my pants, her fingers hooking beneath the fabric to draw them down.
I was momentarily paralyzed and lost to her ministrations.
She could ask for anything she wanted and I’d give it to her, so long as she continued to stare at me like that.
I lifted my hips to allow her to tug the fabric down my legs, leaving us both without clothes.