much play in her life. She did so want to play with Nate—silly, intimate, affectionate games.
His hands tightened. “And what are you going to do after getting yourself all heated up like this?” It was a half-growled question, but she knew him well enough to know that that roughness was an indication of need, not anger.
She tilted her head, looking up at him as he looked down. “I bought a friend.”
He seemed to choke for a second. “A friend?”
“Uh-huh. He vibrates.” It was a whisper meant to carry to his ears alone. “I think I’ll try him out tonight.”
His fingers were pressing down so hard, he was probably going to leave bruises. She didn’t care. Not when he was burning her up with the heat in his eyes. “Don’t.”
Raising her arms, she linked them behind his neck. “Why not?”
“Your first time shouldn’t be with
that
.”
She shrugged. “I’m getting older, Nathan. I have needs.” Dark, clawing needs. Needs only he could fulfill.
“Promise me you won’t use that stupid toy.”
“It’s not stupid.” She rubbed against the hardness of him and heard him suck in a breath. “It’s smaller than you, though.”
“Christ.” Pulling her arms off his neck, he spun her around so she faced him. “Don’t. Use. That.
Thing.
” It was an order.
“Why not?” She pressed into him, the leopard in her inciting a desire to taunt, to torment. “Lots of women do it.”
Eyes going cat, he leaned down to speak against her ear, his lips teasing a suddenly sensitive portion of her anatomy. “If you promise not to use it on yourself tonight,” he whispered, “I’ll use it on you.”
Her legs threatened to collapse. “When?”
“Promise first.”
She was weak, so weak where he was concerned. “I promise I won’t use it tonight.”
He nipped at the shell of her ear and it was then she realized he’d danced them to the farthest edge of the Pack Circle, well away from the reach of the temporary lights. She whimpered and held on. “Nate.”
“Shh. It won’t be that long, baby.” His hand stroked over her back, a rigid inflexibility to his body that hadn’t been there before. “You need a little more time.”
A nauseous feeling twisted through her. “Nate, you said you’d—”
“When the time is right.” There it was again, that tense restraint…as if with her surrender, he had found control.
Anger and pain mixed a caustic brew inside her. “Well,” she said, wrenching away from him, “I only promised not to use it tonight.”
“Tamsyn.”
“And,” she continued, “I’m not going to fall for that dirty trick again.” She began backing into the Circle. “I’m sick of being teased and left wanting. Tomorrow night, I’m taking care of business.”
• • •
TAKING care of business.
Nate glared into his morning coffee and then at the duty roster he’d just received from Cian. Punching in the sentinel’s code on the comm console, he waited for Cian’s face to appear. “What the hell are you on? This roster is a joke!” He was so pissed, he consigned seniority and rank to Hades.
Cian blinked. “I heard you wanted to be on the perimeter, away from Tammy.”
“I don’t recall asking for that particular
favor
.”
The other man winced at his tone. “You do make a point of avoiding her whenever she comes after you.” He frowned. “Though she seems to have stopped doing that lately.”
That observation made Nate’s incisors threaten to erupt. The leopard was not happy with Tamsyn right now. Neither was the man. They both wanted to bite. To dominate. To mark. “Switch me with Juanita.”
“You sure?” Cian scowled. “You’re not exactly in a good mood. Do you want to be around Tammy?”
It was an insult—as if he’d ever hurt her. “If I had wanted advice, I’d have asked for it. Switch.”
“Fine.” Cian threw up his hands. “I’ll tell Nita.”
“And mind your own damn business from now on.” Turning off the comm,
His hands tightened. “And what are you going to do after getting yourself all heated up like this?” It was a half-growled question, but she knew him well enough to know that that roughness was an indication of need, not anger.
She tilted her head, looking up at him as he looked down. “I bought a friend.”
He seemed to choke for a second. “A friend?”
“Uh-huh. He vibrates.” It was a whisper meant to carry to his ears alone. “I think I’ll try him out tonight.”
His fingers were pressing down so hard, he was probably going to leave bruises. She didn’t care. Not when he was burning her up with the heat in his eyes. “Don’t.”
Raising her arms, she linked them behind his neck. “Why not?”
“Your first time shouldn’t be with
that
.”
She shrugged. “I’m getting older, Nathan. I have needs.” Dark, clawing needs. Needs only he could fulfill.
“Promise me you won’t use that stupid toy.”
“It’s not stupid.” She rubbed against the hardness of him and heard him suck in a breath. “It’s smaller than you, though.”
“Christ.” Pulling her arms off his neck, he spun her around so she faced him. “Don’t. Use. That.
Thing.
” It was an order.
“Why not?” She pressed into him, the leopard in her inciting a desire to taunt, to torment. “Lots of women do it.”
Eyes going cat, he leaned down to speak against her ear, his lips teasing a suddenly sensitive portion of her anatomy. “If you promise not to use it on yourself tonight,” he whispered, “I’ll use it on you.”
Her legs threatened to collapse. “When?”
“Promise first.”
She was weak, so weak where he was concerned. “I promise I won’t use it tonight.”
He nipped at the shell of her ear and it was then she realized he’d danced them to the farthest edge of the Pack Circle, well away from the reach of the temporary lights. She whimpered and held on. “Nate.”
“Shh. It won’t be that long, baby.” His hand stroked over her back, a rigid inflexibility to his body that hadn’t been there before. “You need a little more time.”
A nauseous feeling twisted through her. “Nate, you said you’d—”
“When the time is right.” There it was again, that tense restraint…as if with her surrender, he had found control.
Anger and pain mixed a caustic brew inside her. “Well,” she said, wrenching away from him, “I only promised not to use it tonight.”
“Tamsyn.”
“And,” she continued, “I’m not going to fall for that dirty trick again.” She began backing into the Circle. “I’m sick of being teased and left wanting. Tomorrow night, I’m taking care of business.”
• • •
TAKING care of business.
Nate glared into his morning coffee and then at the duty roster he’d just received from Cian. Punching in the sentinel’s code on the comm console, he waited for Cian’s face to appear. “What the hell are you on? This roster is a joke!” He was so pissed, he consigned seniority and rank to Hades.
Cian blinked. “I heard you wanted to be on the perimeter, away from Tammy.”
“I don’t recall asking for that particular
favor
.”
The other man winced at his tone. “You do make a point of avoiding her whenever she comes after you.” He frowned. “Though she seems to have stopped doing that lately.”
That observation made Nate’s incisors threaten to erupt. The leopard was not happy with Tamsyn right now. Neither was the man. They both wanted to bite. To dominate. To mark. “Switch me with Juanita.”
“You sure?” Cian scowled. “You’re not exactly in a good mood. Do you want to be around Tammy?”
It was an insult—as if he’d ever hurt her. “If I had wanted advice, I’d have asked for it. Switch.”
“Fine.” Cian threw up his hands. “I’ll tell Nita.”
“And mind your own damn business from now on.” Turning off the comm,
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