Free Staking His Claim by Lynda Chance

His words
were as much an accusation as an agreement.
    "Why?" she questioned softly.
    "Why?" His eyebrows pulled down. "Because I
want what's best for you," he spit out, giving her a brutal and
accusing glare that was in direct opposition of the words he spoke.
"I care about you. I want you to be happy."
    She nodded her head at his tortured
clarification. It was really all she needed to hear. "I'm not going
to hold anything against you. I want this, Raul."
    His hands moved and splayed over her butt as
he hauled her closer. "Yeah?"
    "Yeah," she whispered.
    He tightened his grip with a steely, almost
imperceptible nuance of threat. "Last chance."

CHAPTER NINE
    "Pass," she murmured as her lips softly
touched his.
    Raul felt her soft lips against his and let
her magic roll through him. Never in his life had he felt a need
this intense. It had been like this for every godforsaken day since
he'd met her. It beat deep from his soul and he knew in dark
exasperation that it would never go away.
    He reached between them and began undoing the
buttons that went all the way down her dress. When the slight
curves of her soft white breasts were revealed above the lace of
her bra, he lowered his head and took her silky skin in his mouth
and suckled her there.
    She squirmed in his arms and lifted her hands
between them, going to work on the buttons of his shirt, excitement
boiling up within her. Her movements became frantic.
    "Shh. . . slow, sweetheart." He lifted his
mouth from her breast and they worked on each other's buttons, the
silence of the night broken by the panting breaths they were
taking.
    They finished releasing the buttons together,
and she began pushing his shirt off his shoulders. He complied with
her silent request and shrugged his arms from the shirt, dropping
it to the floor at her feet.
    Her dress hung on either side of her body,
the buttons parting it in two, her bra and matching lace panties
peeking through.
    He sucked in a breath and brushed the dress
away from her waist and sank his fingers into her soft skin.
"You're not on birth control, are you?"
    She stiffened in his arms. "No," she
whispered, and he could tell she was shocked by the question.
    "I'm clean, baby, I promise. What are the
chances you could get pregnant tonight?" His lips fell to her
shoulder, his hands gripping her as he waited for her to
answer.
    "Can't you use something?" she asked.
    "I could use something. But I really, truly do not want to take your virginity with a
condom between us. I'll do it if I have to. I just don't want to
have to."
    He lifted his lips from her shoulder as he
watched her face scrunch in concentration. She spoke hesitantly, "I
think it'll be fine. But what if I'm wrong? What if--"
    "I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you.
We'd handle it together, okay? Are you close to ovulation or
not?"
    "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not, but you know
what they say, shit happens ."
    He let out an abbreviated snicker. "Yeah. I'm
okay with taking the chance, but only if you are, too."
    She bit her lip and ran her tongue over the
abraded flesh. Her eyes rested on his, studying him. Her body
quivered and she began a subtle move back from him. "I don't know,
I--"
    He interrupted her before she decided to back
out all together. "It's okay. I'll use a condom." One hand left her
briefly while he dug around in the top drawer of his bedside table.
He pulled out a small plastic square and laid it down within easy
reach.
    He turned his attention back to her
immediately, pulling her into his torso and sinking his fingers
into her hair. His mouth found hers and he kissed her deeply,
entwining his tongue with hers and letting her sweet scent wash
over him. He kissed her repeatedly, over and over and over again.
She melted against him, and the sweet feel of her innocence
exploded through him, hardening him.
    The blood pooled in his groin and he felt
himself surge against the zipper of his jeans. He shifted, trying
to relieve the ache, as he gripped her