Free Hunger Aroused by Dee Carney

you know that?”
    â€œThe way you were running. Your technique.”
    â€œMy technique?” Jasmine laughed.
    Her laughter pulled on his heartstrings again, but in a different way. A good way. The corners of his mouth curved unexpectedly. “You have none.”
    A shriek of indignation rang out as she caught his meaning. Planting one foot against his chest, she nudged him, but he’d already anticipated her. He used her new position to start peeling off her socks.
    â€œI do too,” she mumbled.
    Her body’s natural perfume, the low-level scent of arousal that had dissipated once no longer confined by the small space of a car, flared. Corin’s fingers trembled against her skin as it enveloped him. Fighting for some semblance of control, he rubbed the delicate bones of her ankles before traveling to the fleshy portion of her heels. When he reached beneath the hem of her jeans to stroke her slender legs, she let out a sigh.
    â€œWhat are you doing, Corin?” To his ears, her voice sounded husky. Sure.
    Soft flesh yielded beneath his kneading hands. “Your muscles are tight.” A lie, but one he would not take back if her belief allowed him to keep touching her like this. “And your heat is building.”
    â€œWhat about the punishment you threatened me with?”
    â€œOn its way.”
    â€œOh.”
    Half-hidden beneath heavy lids, blue eyes flecked with gold looked drowsy from building desire. For a split second, Corin allowed himself to believe that he, and not the cycles of her change, incited the flames there.
    â€œI don’t like that you know how I feel before I do.”
    â€œWe’re highly sexual creatures, mellita. I can’t help reacting every time you lick your lips, or the pace of your breathing picks up. And your scent, the heat from between your legs is like…”
    â€œA beacon?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhat does that word mean, mellita? ”
    â€œIt’s just a word, like a nickname.” He wouldn’t say “term of endearment,” despite it being exactly that. Telling her its translation now didn’t seem right though. “It’s just another way to call you. Never mind what it means. It suits you.” He couldn’t stop touching her. Skin so smooth. So luxuriant.
    â€œBut you’ve never—”
    Carefully parting her thighs, he leaned forward, running his hands now over the length of her lower legs. Made his way up her thighs. Stroking. Kneading. “I’ve never what?” he murmured.
    A pretty blush spread over her cheeks. “I could have fixed, you know, the problem, myself.”
    â€œTrue—” he licked his own lips now, “—but the amount of endorphins released is greater when caused by another’s stimulation.”
    â€œI don’t follow.”
    â€œYou could make yourself come and release an acceptable amount of endorphins. But if you have a skilled lover to help you, who heightens your anticipation…” Unable to help himself, he pressed his mouth to the thin line of skin showing above the waist of her clothing. “This way more endorphins are released. It lasts longer.”
    She nodded thoughtfully. “What about you, though? You’ve been selfless.”
    His mouth parted near her belly button, his tongue reaching out to touch her. A wonderful little taste of her bare skin. Chuckling as he pulled away, Corin replied, “Believe me, this is no hardship.”
    It went against everything he’d been taught to do as an executioner. It went against his own beliefs that he sullied Jasmine by daring to touch her. It meant he’d turned his back on his kind to give in to carnal desires. And the desires of his heart.
    No. It was no hardship at all.
    Jasmine reached down, and he felt her trepidation. She fought some part of herself, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d taken her world and thrown it upside down. The first