Page 29 of Shaw

He slapped his other hand over the floating tat. “Dinnae tempt the beast possess you.”

She suspected his ink had only been flirting with her, if such a thing were possible, although he didn’t want to hear that. He hated the dark magic inside him, which was probably why the two were locked in this nasty arm-wrestling match that was never going to end.

“Don’t get upset now,” she said as she glided her lips along the side of his throat, and then nipped his jaw. “Forget about your ink. I’m here, and I’m much prettier. Have some fun with me.” She drew his hands under her shirt, pushing them up until his palms covered her bare breasts. “Meet your two biggest fans.” Her nipples instantly pebbled, making her groan a little. “Maybe you could like rub them a little.”

Shaw’s eyes darkened, but not with magic. “You’re certain ’tis what you desire?”

“I want you.” Julianne had never been aggressive like this. She was more the happily riding shotgun while someone else steered type. But the words poured out of her on a sigh of longing. She ached for the man, and she could see how much he wanted her, too. Whatever his ink did, she and Shaw were meant to be together. “Why do you think I let you follow me everywhere since I got here, Chief?”

He made a sound as if he were being torn apart from the inside out, and then he kissed her and rolled with her, his hungry mouth capturing and doing terribly wonderful things to hers as he put her on her back again. All kinds of wicked thoughts poured out of her imagination, thanks to his kissing. His big body nearly squished her before he lifted up and grabbed the front of her leine. His hands pulled up the shirt, and then he was feeling her up and using his mouth on her breasts. The hungry greed of his lips and liquid fire of his tongue made her burn with so much heat that sweat popped up and beaded all over her.

“Time out.” She shouldn’t have shouted it like that, because he nearly jumped off the bed. “Sorry, sorry. I just remembered we don’t have any protection.” As he frowned she almost cursed. “I don’t want to have a little beast or chief whatever.” She patted her bare belly. “This has to stay a baby-free zone.”

Shaw sat back on his haunches. “I cannae sire any bairns. No immortal may.”

“Right, except for the Selseus, who according to their king guy would all be happy to jump on me and make babies. Oh, and your dad, who had had like super siring powers.” She frowned. “Although that would explain why none of you have kids. You’re like mules, right?”

Now he climbed off the bed. “You should go, my lady. We’ll attempt seduce the beast another night.”

Julianne sat up and saw how rigidly he held his shoulders, and knew what she’d said had hurt him. Of course it had; he probably never even thought about pregnancy or STDs, especially when he was about to get busy. Still, she needed him to understand why.

“It’s not about you or the Big Bad, Shaw.” She tapped her temple. “I don’t want to have kids because they might end up like me.”

“Tall, golden and lovely?” he muttered as he picked up a chunk of wood, setting fire to it before he tossed it onto the pile burning in the hearth.

“Stupid.” As he swung around to scowl at her she nodded. “It’s okay. I’m used to always being the dumbest person in the room. I’ve been that way ever since I was adopted.” She thought of Mitch smirking and picking food out of his teeth. “Believe me, stupid is not the worst thing you can be.”

Shaw strode over to the bed, cradling her face between his hands. “Dinnae speak thus of yourself.”

“I know what I am, and what I’m not.” Julianne wound her arms around his waist. “I can’t read very well, I suck at math, and I mix up words. I say things that I think aren’t funny and everyone laughs. I’m not a child, but I’ll never be like V and Lark and Caroline. I know stupid isn’t a nice word, and I’m supposed to say limited, but it’s true and it’s okay with me. Being smart isn’t everything.”

He pressed his brow to hers as he stared into her eyes. “You’re bright and beautiful, and you saved me.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Oh, sure. I found out that you can’t drown, remember? Caroline said–”

“’Twasnae from the sea you saved me, my merrow lady.” He bent down and pressed his mouth to hers in a soft, luscious kiss that ended way too soon for her. “’Twas from despair, and loneliness, and the growing certainty I shouldnae breathe.” He kissed her again, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and nipping her as he came over the top of her, and eased her back onto the mattress. “You give me true hope. Aye, mayhap for the first time since the Pritani took me.”

“Hey.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut. “Now you’re going to make me cry.”

“Look at me, woman.” When she did he shifted, pressing his erection against her pussy. “If you cry, ’twill come from pleasure.”

Seeing the fierce desire in his eyes made her melt inside; all Julianne wanted was to tear off his clothes and hers and get down to it. She pulled up her leine and his gaze went instantly to her flushed, swollen mounds.

“Not yet,” she warned as he moved to put his hand on her. “I need to be naked first. Take off my clothes.”

Shaw took hold of her pants, and with one jerk of his hand ripped them open and stripped them off. The ragged remains went sailing through the air as he did the same thing with her leine, and then straddled her hips as he stared at her bare body.

“Now your pants,” she said, brushing her fingertips along the ridge his hard cock had made in his trousers. “Whoa. You really are glad I’m staying the night.”

“I shall come inside you the moment I free myself,” Shaw warned.

“That works. We can do it as many times as you want. I love sex.” She stretched as he rolled off her, stroking her hands over her throbbing breasts and moving them down to her hips. “You’re going to want to do it a lot tonight, right?”

When he started to come back over her, his big body completely naked for her, something made her turn away and present him with her back. He’ll like this, she thought, although she wasn’t sure why. She moaned a little as he caressed her bottom, and then shivered as he slipped his fingers between her thighs.

“You’re so soft and wet, my merrow lass,” Shaw muttered. “You’ve all but soaked my hand.”

“That’s where I need you.” A strange shudder ran through her, and she glanced over her shoulder and smiled blindly at him. “You remember, don’t you?”