Night Hunter by Vonna Harper Page A

Before she could react, he reached down, grabbed her shoulders and hauled her up with him. Her bra straps started slipping off her arms. She grabbed the garment and tore it from her. Before she could turn her attention to her shorts, he took charge by yanking the elastic waistband down her hips. The elastic caught around her thighs, but only for a moment because, impatient with his speed, she pulled them off the rest of the way. She reached for her panties, but he caught her hands and pushed her away from him. His gaze seared her.
    “Well?” she managed. “Do you like what you see?”
    “You are a woman.”
    Woman. Talk about summoning it up with a single word. “I-I wasn’t sure,” she admitted. “For too long—I was in a relationship that didn’t—that never did this to me.”
    “Today is different?”
    She swayed, felt lightheaded. “Today’s different from anything I’ve ever done in my life.”
    He continued looking at her, staring at her face for a long minute before raking his gaze lower. She felt the heat of that stare on her throat and then her breasts. Finally he turned his attention to her waist and belly. Suddenly shy, she tried to cover her crotch with her hands, but her arms were so heavy. Besides, she still wore that tiny piece of white nylon and lace.
    But not for long, she amended as he jerked his head at her, commanding her to come to him. She did so mindlessly, and when she stood before him, he took hold of the front of her panties and tugged. They too hung up on her hips, prompting her to suck in her breath to aid in the disrobing, but once the scrap of cloth was at the juncture between hips and legs, she let him take over again. He crouched, rolling the garment down her legs. She stepped out of it.
    Naked before him. Finally.
    Now what? she asked herself. Think, damn it. Now what?
    Despite the way her fingers trembled, it didn’t take long to untie the knot of cord over his hip that held the loincloth in place and toss it away.
    Bigger than she’d imagined.
    Her tongue snaked out to touch her upper lip. She didn’t even try to pretend she wasn’t mesmerized by the contours and veins of his engorged penis and heavy testicles.
    “You’re—magnificent.”
    He didn’t respond, didn’t move.
    “You—you belong inside me. Now, now!”
    Still wordless, he clamped his hands around her waist, propelled her over to a rotting tree stump covered with moss and ferns, and backed her against it. Not waiting for him to position her, she reached behind and found a handhold. Then she arched away from him, spreading her legs and thrusting her pelvis at him at the same time. After staring at her from under hooded eyes, he lifted her so her toes barely touched the ground. Because there was an indentation in the ground at the front of the stump, he could stand in it—make the fit of cock to cunt perfect.
    Now! Now before I lose my everlasting mind!
    Using his thumbs, he spread her hot, wet folds. She felt the first exquisite kiss of cock against swollen bud, trembled.
    “No!” a stranger ordered.
    Fighting terror, she forced herself to concentrate. Laird had stepped away from her. Something about his stance made her question whether he had any control over what he was doing.
    “Laird?”
    Teeth bared, his fists raised and at the ready, he turned. Everything about him said he was facing an adversary, a foe, maybe danger, but she didn’t see anything or anyone.
    “Laird? What is it?” she demanded. “Who…”
    He crouched slightly as if readying himself for attack.
    “No,” he said, the word half defiance, half plea. “No.”
    What are you talking about? Because she didn’t dare distract him, she simply settled herself back onto her feet and watched, waited. She couldn’t begin to ignore her sexual frustration, couldn’t bring herself to close her legs.
    Laird looked no less wary than he had a moment ago, and she read denial in every line of his body, but he was no longer ruled by shock.