Hot Blooded by authors_sort

many of them tried and were very distressed that they
could not." He drew her into his arms to comfort her. "The rain forest here in
South America is very large and there are no borders in the jungle. We settled
in Brazil, on the edge of the forest, but we travel from country to country to
insure the safety of the inhabitants. In our travels we often encounter the
males. They are all solitary creatures. We had been instructed by our prince to
avoid them if possible, but often we spoke with them. Jaguars, like our species,
are on the verge of extinction. They are intelligent and know they contributed
to their own extinction, yet they still could not stop what nature dictated."
And a part of him felt very much as if they deserved their fate when they
refused to treasure their women and children.
    "You're saying it's not their fault." Juliette pulled out of his arms,
turning her face away from him as she gathered her clothes with shaking hands.
She stepped into her jeans and dragged them up over her bare skin, blinking back
tears. That was twice she'd nearly cried in front of him. She didn't cry. Not
because of a man.
    "We are not talking about the rogue males, the ones out of control and doing
harm to their women. They should be brought to justice, not allowed to be
kidnapping and raping women with the idea of creating baby machines." He took
the shirt from her hands and turned her around to face him, tipping up her chin
so she had to meet his dark gaze. "I may be rough, Juliette, and I will admit I
have long ago forgotten how to be gentle, but I would never harm a woman unless
she threatened my life or my people. It is not done."
    She framed his face, her palms resting along his shadowed jaw. "You're gentle
enough for me." And he was. He moved her like no other man had ever done—or ever
could. They had come together in fire, burning hot and out of control, yet then
he had stroked tender caresses down her body with a trembling hand, sitting her
on his lap, cupping her breasts reverently.
    Riordan leaned down to kiss her upturned face, taking his time, lingering
over it. His heart found the rhythm of hers. "You are an unexpected gift. I am
not a man to throw such things away."
    She took her shirt from him and slipped into it.
    He reached out to pull the edges of the material together over her generous
breasts. "Even in your clothes, you look so sexy I am uncertain whether or not I
can keep my hands off of you." He lifted the soft weight of her breast, his
fingers sliding over creamy skin. "Your skin is so soft and warm and inviting."
He bent down and drew her nipple into the heat of his mouth, unable to resist
the temptation.
    Juliette closed her eyes, pressing closer to him, wrapping her arms around
his head, holding him to her while waves of pleasure coursed through her body,
swamped her utterly and completely. She loved the way he indulged himself with
her body. She loved that he enjoyed her so much and that he obviously wanted her
to feel the same about him. "We're never going to leave this spot if we keep
this up," she murmured, wanting to strip off her jeans and wrap her legs firmly
around his waist. "I think sex with you is addicting."
    "I cannot help myself." His tongue teased her nipple into a hard peak before
reluctantly releasing her. "Your body is such a temptation."
    Her fingers drifted over his heavy erection. "There you go again, blaming it
on me. I see you like this, hard and thick and so in need, and naturally I want
to do something about it."
    He groaned. "I have no discipline around you." He tugged at the jeans until
they were down around her ankles and she could kick them aside. "If I do not get
some relief, I doubt I will be able to walk, let alone battle any vampires. What
do you intend to do about it?"
    She circled his neck with her arms and pulled herself up his body, wrapping
her legs tightly around his waist. "I thought I would just take a ride," she