Page 54 of The Spirit of the Wolf

She lay beneath him, his hands holding her arms to the side. She tried to kick out at him, but she did him absolutely no harm. Having placed one of his knees between her legs, he held himself up, slightly above her but out of the line of fire.

He shook his head at her. “Why don’t you simply obey me?” he asked, as though the idea of a man’s orders going undone was beyond him. “There is a good reason why you must now come with me.”

“If this is so,” she said, “then tell me what it is.”

“I cannot.”

“Then don’t expect me to do as you say. Believe me, if you do this, I promise I will be an annoyance and will create as much trouble as I possibly can.”

He breathed out harshly. “You already are much trouble.”

“Good!”

He sighed. “You realize I will have to tie you now, don’t you?”

“Do what you must. But you should be aware that I will escape. And if you find me, I will try again.”

His voice was calm when he said, “Then I will have to ensure you are never again successful.”

She let out a harsh breath but otherwise remained silent, although if a glance could have done injury…

She kicked out at him, and in response to her fidgeting, he sent her a carefully contrived look of boredom.

She threw another fit, thrashing about, twisting and, using her feet, tried to assault him. But he was prepared.

He lay over her, holding both of her hands away from her body as she wiggled and squirmed beneath him.

“Tula, lie still.”

He might as well have kept silent. She lashed out at him all the more, but the effort had taken much energy, or so it appeared. At last, she lay still. Then, sucking in her breath, she opened her mouth, and he didn’t wait to find out what she was intending.

He reacted the only way a man should. He covered her mouth with his own. It wasn’t a kiss. It wasn’t meant to be.

It was simply a means to keep her from screaming, and yet, with the first touch, he was at once transported. His body stood alert. After the last few days, he practically knew this woman’s body by heart, and it was with the most extreme control that he did not press the matter further.

Her wriggling against him was having the opposite effect than the one she most likely intended, and as her teeth bit at his tongue, thoughts of other activities, much more pleasant activities, came swiftly to his mind.

He deepened the kiss and was rewarded to hear her low-pitched moan.

Still, she twisted in his arms, flailing about as though she believed he might intend her bodily harm. Instead of fighting her, he kissed her more fervently.

She groaned again, and the sound of it tore at whatever self-control he had left. He should let it go, let her go. But he couldn’t.

His mouth slanted over hers, his tongue searching out her own, dancing with hers, tasting her, delving even deeper into the moist recesses of her mouth. At last the struggle seemed to wear itself out, and gradually he let go of one of her hands, if only to determine what she would do.

He was ready for most anything except what happened. Her hand came up to hold on to his shoulder.

Imperceptibly, so slowly he barely recognized it for what it was, she responded back to him in the sweet way he loved so well. She returned his kiss, running her hands down his back. It sent him quietly out of his mind.

He then performed the most natural act in the world. He made love to her, right there on the side of the gully.

There was no leading up to it, no waiting, no honeyed words. She might be furious with him, she might think him an unworthy beast, but she opened her legs to him, as if she could barely tolerate the distance between them, too.

It was lovemaking at its rockiest. It was taking, but also giving. It was rough, yet gentle. They bore against each other over and over, straining together as if each thrust were another well-argued point in their disagreement.

The release was heavenly, yet earthy at the same time, and they came together in a madness of thrusting hips. The pleasure went on and on, as if each clung to the moment, as if each understood the pleasure was fleeting.

At last it was over, and both were breathing heavily as he settled down on her.