United Passion Read online

  “It’s either on or off, and it’s really dark without it. Give that a minute to work and the light should become more tolerable.”

  He had her naked and chained to a bed, yet he made no move to touch her. “What are you hoping to accomplish by bringing me here?” She still wasn’t sure where here was. The prefab construction screamed DOMA, but the design was different from the cottages they’d erected in the village. This was a one-room structure, unless one of the two doors led to another room.

  “It occurred to me that your refusal to see reason might be connected to a broader problem. I suspect that our unresolved issues are clouding your judgment.”

  “Oh really?” She scooted back against the wall, taking the water bottle with her. “First of all, there is nothing unresolved between us. We’re history whether you’re willing to accept the fact or not. Secondly, I never let my personal feelings interfere with my judgment, so this is a waste of time.”

  “Maybe, but I say it’s worth investigating.”

  “I don’t give a damn what you say. Unlock these cuffs and let me go.”

  The smile flirting with his mouth finally parted his lips, revealing even white teeth and adding a predatory gleam to his gold-green eyes. “Not a chance. You’re my prisoner until I’m ready to let you go, so you might as well start cooperating.”

  Chapter Three

  Shaking off the rain, Amara ducked back into the cave she’d been sharing with Izak. The air was cold and clear, which brought her up short. She’d grown accustomed to fear’s sharp scent. Her gaze darted to the corner where Izak had staked out their prisoner. Dried blood stained the stone floor, but the puppy was gone.

  “Where is he?” She tried to remain calm, but dread expanded with alarming force, drying her throat and speeding her pulse. “Where’s our toy?”

  Izak ambled toward her, dark eyes gleaming despite the cave’s dimness. “I broke him, but it doesn’t matter. There’s a new game I want to play.”

  “I don’t want to hear about a new game until you tell me what you did with the dog!”

  He lunged for her, fisting his hand in her hair. “I don’t like your tone. Do you need another lesson in obedience?”

  She averted her gaze and took a deep breath. As much as she enjoyed her punishment, there was more at stake than physical pleasure. If the dogs found the body… She didn’t even want to imagine the uproar such a thing would cause.

  “Where’s the body?” His fingers tightened painfully, but she couldn’t back down. “What did you do with him?”

  “Do you think I’m a complete imbecile? I weighted him down and sank him in the lake. No one will find him unless they dredge it, and there’s no reason for anyone to go to all that trouble. They’ll blame it on the handlers. The dogs hate them even more than we do.”

  There was logic in what he said, but he was growing more careless with each passing day, and more perverted. She’d hoped the dog would keep him entertained for longer than a few short days. “Tell me about this new game.” She was almost afraid to ask. As soon as she was certain she carried Izak’s young, she’d snuff out his worthless existence and return to her clan. Everyone presumed she’d gone into seclusion when her mate set her aside. If she returned with a litter growing in her belly, no one would be surprised if she refused to name the father. None of the males would want the shame of stillborn cubs associated with their name. Everyone would wait and see if the cubs survived. And if they did, she’d reclaim her place among the fertile females.

  “If all the cat clans are shifting their focus toward a common cause, we need to reignite hostilities.”

  She moved closer to him, easing his hold on her hair. “And how do we do that?”

  “We trap one of the Barbary females and make it look like she was raped by the rebels. We keep her blindfolded, and I’ll put on a show like you’ve never imagined. We’ll make her believe the rebels are sending a message, that they’re insulted by Maddox’s determination to tame them.”

  “Many morphs can sense another’s inner breed. If we trap the wrong female, she could lead both clans right back to us.”

  He shoved her away with a derisive snort. “You going soft on me? I thought you liked these games as much as I do.”

  She shivered as his gaze bore into hers. She had a dark side, an element of her personality that enjoyed cruelty and rebellion, but Izak was letting these “games” consume his life. There was nowhere he could run, unless someone smuggled him out of the colony, and it took serious connections to accomplish something like that.

  Perhaps Izak had accepted that his death was a foregone conclusion, so he intended to raise as much hell as possible in the meantime.

  “What are you thinking, pretty Amara? Are you still trying to scheme your way back into the clan’s good graces?” His mocking tone stung nearly as much as a slap. “None of the men will have you, even if I manage to knock you up. All you will have accomplished is to saddle yourself with two or three cubs. And you won’t be able to support them without whoring, which is what you’re trying to avoid. Isn’t it?”

  He was just trying to confuse her, trying to entangle her fate more completely with his. Well, she wasn’t listening. She still had options available to her. He had something she needed, so she was helping him, temporarily. When the end came, and his accusers caught up with him, she’d be far, far away!

  She stood up straight and met his gaze, refusing to be cowed. “I think you have a death wish. And I’m not ready to die.”

  “I think you’ve come too far to turn back now.” His arm lashed out, hand clasping her throat. “If you betray me, it will be the last thing you do.”

  Barely able to breathe, she grasped his wrist with both hands. “I won’t betray you.” Tears stung her eyes and her chest began to burn.

  His grip loosened, but his nails dug into her skin. “We’re in this together, whether you like it or not. Don’t forget, you came after me.”

  He was right. She’d stalked him, hoping to use his erratic behavior to her own advantage. But things had progressed more swiftly, and his desires were more twisted than she had realized. “We’re partners. I haven’t forgotten.”

  “Partners?” He scoffed. “Hardly.”

  Rather than argue with him, she ran her hands up his arms and placed them on his shoulders. “The rain has finally stopped and the moon is bright. If you’re anxious to play your new game, let’s get started.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  * * * * *

  Maddox took in Dyauna’s mutinous expression, unable to suppress his smile. She’d argue and resist, and he’d savor every minute of her struggle. She was stubborn and proud, determined to deny them both what they wanted. But he was just as determined to break through her resolve and explore the tender feelings she was afraid to acknowledge.

  Their attraction had always been volatile. That was part of the appeal. They shouldn’t want each other, shouldn’t crave the pleasure they’d found in each other’s arms. He was Barbary pride, the oldest and most powerful group among the lion-shifters. She was a half-breed rebel. According to social convention, she was unworthy to be his consort, much less his mate.

  He didn’t care about social convention. He’d been willing to thumb his nose at obligation and follow his heart. But she hadn’t allowed herself to believe his devotion was genuine. She’d used anger and rebellion to insulate her from the pain. She wasn’t willing to be his whore, and she couldn’t believe he’d want her for anything more. So she ran.

  “I’ve tried to give you time to sort through your feelings on your own,” he began.

  “How very generous of you.”

  “But time has only made you more stubborn and more determined to shut me out.”

  She threw the empty water bottle at his head. He easily batted it aside. “I’m not shutting you out, you arrogant jerk. I’ve moved on. Why can’t you get that through your thick skull?”

  “You’ve moved on?” He sat on the foot o
f the bed and she drew her legs up to her chest, keeping herself just out of reach. Though her feet hid her sex and her knees pressed against her breasts, he was still undeniably aware of her nakedness. Her skin was smooth and golden, a tribute to her indifference to clothing. “Who have you moved on to?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “Indulge me. It’s been ten months since you left the village. Who shares your bed?”

  With a careless shrug, she stared into his eyes. “If I get an itch, I find someone to scratch it. It’s seldom the same person twice. Leadership is easier and more effective if I keep an emotional distance between me and my followers.”

  “Do you like sleeping alone?”

  Annoyance flashed in her gaze, but her voice remained cool and composed. “I’m willing to sleep alone because it helps maintain order among my men. Few women have chosen to join the rebellion. Life is hard in the caves.”

  “You’ve chosen to make life hard,” he countered. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

  “When the other option is owing my existence to our captors, I’ll take the caves.”

  “What if you didn’t owe your existence to the handlers?”

  She waved away his question. “What ifs are a waste of time.”

  He shook his head and waited a beat, determined to maintain his cool. She exasperated him faster than anyone else, and still he ached to find the words to end their emotional standoff once and for all. “Negotiating is a waste of time. Supposition is a waste of time. What don’t you find wasteful?”

  “Fighting!” Anger and resentment twisted her features into a bitter snarl. “Driving those worthless bastards off our land.”

  “It’s not that simple, and you know it.”

  “It’s only complicated because you insist on acting like a neutered lap cat.” She kicked out at him, her glare not quite believable.

  “I’m civilized, perhaps even tame” -- he pivoted toward her and caught her ankles -- “but I am not neutered. I think we should establish that fact right now.” She had the audacity to laugh. He pulled her ankles, but she kept her arms tightly wrapped around her legs, so her entire body slid toward him rather than unfolding as he’d intended.

  “Did I wound your pride?”

  “No, you challenged my lion, and he’s not willing to ignore the insult.” He crawled onto the bed and pushed her over. She rocked onto her back, legs still tucked against her chest. Easily anticipating her next move, he deflected her kick as he lunged forward, neatly spreading her legs in the process. “You’re about to find out how far I am from neutered, and how much I missed wrestling with you.” Before she could object, he pushed her bound hands above her head and settled his mouth on top of hers. She wiggled and bucked, refusing to kiss him. He nipped her bottom lip and growled, “Open for me.”

  “Screw you,” she gritted out between clenched teeth.

  He pushed up, resting on his knees and forearms as his gaze searched her angry face. Her full lips pressed into a rebellious line and her forehead was furrowed, eyebrows nearly touching. If it weren’t for the fear deep in her eyes, he would have continued on with his forceful advance. Surely she knew he would never hurt her?

  Then why was she afraid?

  “Stubborn to the bitter end.” He reached up and found the crank attached to the bed frame. With a few quick turns, he took up the slack in the chain connected to her handcuffs and secured her arms above her head. He skimmed his fingers along her sides then grasped her hips. “Do I need to bind your ankles, or are you going to behave?”

  “I have no intention of giving in to you, so you might as well release me. Unless you’ve acquired a taste for rape since I left you, this is going nowhere.”

  He chuckled as he unfastened his jeans. “Another challenge? You should know better than that.” With deliberate slowness, he peeled the sturdy material past his hips, then pulled his legs out, and tossed the garment aside. He knelt between her thighs, naked and aroused. His fingers wrapped around his shaft, and he stroked from base to tip, drawing her attention to his jutting erection. “See. Fully functional.”

  Her lips parted as if she’d offer some smartass remark. Instead, her cheeks flushed and her tongue brushed over her lower lip. “This doesn’t mean anything.” Her voice broke, and she turned her face away, breasts quivering as her breath grew stilted.

  “It means you still want me.” He traced her slit with the flared tip of his sex, rubbing her clit in tantalizing circles. She was already damp and hot, her earthy musk rising all around him.

  “So what?” Her gaze shot back to his, bright and defiant. “I want a lot of things I can’t have.”

  He arched over her, body positioned to take her. “What makes you think you can’t have me? Say the word and I’m yours.”

  “For how long? In what capacity? This is cruel, Maddox. Just do it!”

  He would never be content to “just do it” to her, but she wasn’t ready to accept the full scope of his feelings. So they’d wrestle a little while longer. “Push up with your hips and take me, if that’s all you want.”

  “Damn you!” She yanked against the handcuffs and tried to twist away. “Stop teasing me.”

  “I’ve barely begun to tease you.” He shifted the angle of his hips and slid his shaft across her clit as he pressed her into the mattress. She shivered and moaned, helpless beneath him. “Kiss me. I need your taste in my mouth.”

  “I don’t want to --” His lips swooped down and cut off her protest. He pushed his tongue past her lips, tracing her teeth, daring her to bite him. She caught his tongue between her teeth for just a moment then released him with a frustrated cry. Her lips eased and her tongue slid along his, pushing her taste into his mouth.

  He sifted her hair through his fingers, luxuriating in the soft strands. Their lips moved and melded, tongues eagerly sparring. Her mouth was soft, her taste addictive. He wanted more of her, all of her, all at once.

  Keeping his hips carefully angled, he rocked between her thighs. He slid his erection against her mound, withholding the fullness she obviously craved. She trembled and wiggled, then wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed.

  “Stop,” she murmured, then jerked her head to the side and cried, “Or do it for real!”

  He smiled, loving the way her eyes sparkled and her skin flushed. “If this isn’t real, what is it?” He pushed away from her, settling his weight on his knees.

  “I want you inside me.” The admission sounded muffled and… defeated. Why did she resist her feelings so stubbornly?

  “And I want you to admit this is real, that you want more than my body.” Their gazes locked, and her lips trembled, but no sound emerged. He gently cupped her breast, circling the nipple with the pad of his thumb. “All right. If pleasure is all you’ll accept from me, let’s explore that common ground.”

  Dyauna closed her eyes, unable to maintain her emotional reserve while holding his gaze. Maddox had such beautiful eyes, bright and expressive. She saw passion and tenderness in his gold-green stare, yet frustration and disappointment were quickly eroding the warmer emotions.

  His hands swept from her shoulders to her waist, pausing to caress her breast and circle her navel. Maddox loved foreplay. He’d touch and kiss, nibble and lick until she was screaming for release. Ordinarily she welcomed his leisurely pace, but tonight her emotions were raw and her desire demanding. She was tired of the conflict, tired of being strong and unflappable. She craved his fullness deep inside her and his weight covering her, driving away reality as he unleashed a maelstrom of pleasure.

  “Maddox, please. No more games.”

  He latched on to her nipple and sucked, sending ribbons of heat streaming through her chest and abdomen. His fingers rolled her other nipple, creating similar sensations. With his free hand he cupped her mound, fingers closed, touching without parting. Teasing! Everything he did only made the ache between her thighs more unbearable.

  She arched her back and ground ag
ainst his hand, knowing the effort was futile. He knew what she wanted, and he’d give it to her when he was damn good and ready. She’d angered him with her provocation, and now she must pay for her outspokenness.

  Even as her mind provided the excuse, her heart rebelled. His every touch was tender, caring. This had nothing to do with punishment. He was seducing her senses, slipping beneath her defenses, trying to claim her heart.

  She went wild beneath him, bucking and twisting, kicking and yelling in frustration and fear. “I will not yield!”

  “Easy, love.”

  He moved over her, pressing her down with the weight of his body, subduing her struggles with minimal effort. He was big and strong, able to protect and shelter her. She opened her eyes, tense and resentful. She was a warrior! She didn’t need to be protected or sheltered. She needed his body, nothing more!

  “I won’t hurt you.” Framing her face with his hands, he captured her gaze. “Is this what you want?” He reached between them and guided himself her entrance.

  She held her breath and allowed his passion-warmed gaze to wash over her. Slowly, he pushed into her core, filling the emptiness and easing the ache. Her breath escaped in a ragged sigh and she arched to take him deeper. His thumb settled over her clit, stroking the swollen nub in lazy circles. She hooked her calves over his thighs and tightened her inner muscles, savoring the fullness and heat.

  Pushing off the bed, he rocked back onto his knees and drew her hips up, finding a better angle. “Put your ankles on my shoulders.”

  “Why?” The question was out before she could stop it. Despite his gentleness, predatory hunger burned in his gaze. His lion was not only awake; he was tossing his head and stretching the confines of Maddox’s human form.

  He didn’t argue or repeat the directive. He pushed her knee toward her chest then brought her foot to rest on his shoulder. She moved her other leg into position and waited to see what he had in mind.

  His fingers explored where their bodies joined, caressing her folds and accentuating how tightly her body stretched to accommodate him. “Relax your muscles and feel me.”