Free Slow Burn by Sascha Illyvich Page A

a trail down the line
of her jaw and over her neck until stopping at the top of exposed cleavage.
Then he let his nail lengthen, a sound that made her gasp.
    Derrick dragged his nail back up her neck and down it again,
dipping further between her breasts while watching her expression change from
concern to aroused amusement.
    She shuddered, arched her breasts up.
    He nuzzled her, then dipped his head, flicking his tongue
over her salty skin, tasting the spice and dark fruit on his tongue. Then he
slid up her body, dove in for another kiss while his free hand traced circles
on her cheek.
    She moaned her approval into the kiss, letting him control things
at first. Then she pulled back, nipped his lower lip, tugged on it.
    The puma inside snarled playfully.
    Sonja kissed him again, letting him lead this time.
    Derrick took his time studying her mouth with his tongue,
memorizing it. He wanted to let this happen forever, kiss her for eternity. She
tasted so perfect, felt so right snuggled against him. He even closed his eyes,
found the intensity of her scents magnified by the temporary loss of sight.
    Her hand clutched his forearm.
    He brought his hand to hers, interlocked their fingers,
broke from the kiss. Derrick inhaled sharply at the sight before him. Red hair
tangled beneath her, fanned out over her shoulders against the white silk
sheets. A slight red tint colored her face. Lips were primed and plump for more
kissing. And the blue-silver of her eyes sparkled. “Maybe you should wear only
my coat.”
    “Patience, cat. We have some time. Right?” She arched an
eyebrow.
    He didn’t know truthfully. Derrick wasn’t even sure where
they were or how they got here. He knew only that he’d taken out the man who
nearly shot Sonja point blank, then something else happened. That’s when his
memories became a little hazy.
    Derrick tried to think back to what happened earlier,
wondering why Max’s team took so long to flank and nullify their opponents, but
the breathy sigh Sonja gave him brought him back to here and now.
    She’d made it out alive. They both had.
    At the thought, the urgency of their sexual encounter reared
its head.
    He’d almost lost her, and that would be bad for so many
reasons. The security of the world could be at stake, but something deeper made
her more important to him.
    The way she kept stroking his shoulders distracted him and
kept stealing his thoughts.
    “You’re not in the present, Derrick.” Nails raked along
exposed flesh and goose bumps appeared on his skin.
    “Baby, I am now.” Derrick parted her thighs with his leg and
pressed into her heat.
    Even through her jeans, she caused sexual agony.
    She hissed, gripped his shoulders tightly, and lifted up to
catch him across the throat with her teeth.
    The puma inside growled. Derrick fought the beast’s nature
back down, forcing it to realize this was sexual play, not a play for
dominance. She may deal with shifters, but as far as he knew, her band and
known associates were all human.
    She bit his neck again.
    Another shiver raced through him, forcing his focus on her
rather than the beast she’d been taunting. She went for his neck again, nipping
him hard enough to send a spike of painful pleasure to his cock.
    He rolled on top of her, supporting his weight by straddling
her and resting on his forearms. “I need—”
    She shifted beneath him and cupped him.
    His groin hardened further. She just shattered what little
control he had.
    The puma’s tone changed. The beast recognized the core
principle that it and Derrick shared.
    They were both male.
    “I know how to play dirty.” She laughed breathlessly. “And
I’m not afraid of the big beast, either.”
    “You must not be that bright.” He dipped his head down and
flicked his tongue over a breast. He found the hem of her shirt and pulled it
up, only to have it caught by his coat.
    “You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”
    A wry smile crossed her lips and she blinked,