Base Nature by Sommer Marsden Page B

i o nate a nimal and at the r ight tim e , s he was s ure , the e y e s o f a p er f e ct h u nt er . A k ill er . A nd y e t, no f e a r . “So if y o u can change b ack, I w o u l d n ’ t mind picking u p wh er e we l e ft o ff.” She p u sh e d the tips o f h e r t o e s i nto his wa r m g r ay f u r al o n g his ha u nch e s and he ma d e a s o ft s o u nd in h is b a rre l ch e st. I t happ e n e d alm o st t o o fast f o r h e r e y e s t o take n o t e , the shift f r o m be ast t o man. A nd th er e he st o o d , sw e ats at his f ee t, c o ck j u tting o u t ha r d a nd h i s m o u th han g ing o p e n j u st a little in s ur p r is e .
    “ Y o u d i d n ’ t ru n.”
    “ N o p e . N o t o ne st e p. I t was the l e ast f r ight e ning thing I’ ve e v e r s ee n.” She p u t h e r hand o n h im, st r o ki n g him, wanting h im a b o u t a t h o u sand tim e s m o r e than she had five m in u t e s be f o re . Which was say i ng s o m e thing as sh e’ d want e d him with e v er ything in h e r th e n. “Will y o u take me n o w? N o w? H ave I pass ed ?”

 
     

    He o p e n e d the bed si d e dr aw e r and with dre w a pack e t. T he silv e r g lint e d in the splash o f white m o o nlight and wh e n he re m o v e d the c o n d o m s he h e ld ou t h e r hand palm u p.
    “ O h, y o u w a nt to d o it?” He smil e d at h e r and e v er ything in h e r f e lt wa r m. A ll o f h e r b o d y want e d to t ru st h im. So s he d i d .
     

    “ I’ d like t o ,” L iv s a i d , t r ying s o ha r d t o s o u nd s ur e o f h er s e lf. She s w o r e s he c o u ld still f ee l his c o a r se f u r u n de r h e r fing er s, in be t w ee n h e r t o e s. She f e lt s afe with G a rre tt. L ike s o me o f his p o w e r might ru b o ff o n h er . “ I f y o u’r e o kay with it, that is.” She m e t his gaze f o r o ne bre ath and th e n dr o pp e d h e r e y e s to sta r e at h e r thi g hs. T h e y f e lt ting l y and d isc o nn e ct ed . L ike th e y d i d n ’ t e v e n be l o ng to h e r at a ll. T he silv er - w h ite m o o nl i ght th re w a c re s c e nt patt er n o n the fl o o r .
    She f e lt the c o n d o m h it h e r palm and L iv l o o k e d u p.
    “ N o f u n n y bu sin e ss t h o u gh,” he s ai d , l e aning in s o th e y w er e fac e - t o -fac e . “I w o n ’ t b e happy if I c o me be f o r e it ’ s all said and d o n e . A h a nd j o b i s n ’ t what I’ m aft er .” He kiss e d h e r so li g htly it f e lt alm o st as if n o t hing m o r e than a ir had t o u ch e d h e r s kin. L iv la u gh ed , she c o u l d n ’ t h e lp it.
    “ T hat w o u ld n e v e r happ e n.” She r o ll e d the c o n d o m o n, l o vi n g the h o t ha r d f ee l o f him in h e r han d .
    G a rre t t ’ s v o ice was bu st e d g lass and b a rb e d wi re . Be y o nd g ru ff with what she h o p e d was ur g e ncy. “ A ppa re ntly, y o u have no i de a h o w b a d ly I’ m ha n ging o nto my c o nt r o l r ight n o w.”
    L iv t o u ch e d the d a r k hair that c ur l e d at his l o w e r be lly, sift e d h e r f ing er s th r o u gh it like it was wa te r at the o c e an. “N o . I d o n ’ t.”
    G a rre t t p u sh e d h e r b ack to the bed . H e r panti e s o ff ere d no re sistance t o h i s han d s. H e r ni g htie s ur g e d u p a s he p re ss e d hims e lf be tw e e n h e r thig h s. He was b ig and wa r m and m o r e im p o sing u p cl o se th a n he had e v e r s ee m ed . She ca u ght the gl i nt o f his t ee th and the sh i ne o f his b l u e e y e s i n the l o w light. “ B a re ly. I am b a re ly h o l d i n g o n, L iv.”
    “ H o w b a re ly?” She lick e d his l o w e r lip and he g re w t e nse a gainst h er . “ S o b a re ly that I’ m sca r ing mys e lf. I hav e n ’ t…” He st o pp ed .
    G o d , d a r e she h o pe it? Was it e v e n p o ssi b l e ? She d i d n ’ t say a w o r d th o ug h. L iv r an h e r h an d s d o wn be tw e e n th e m. F ee ling his b o d y