In the back of his mind, he knew he was making a mistake. The woman kissing him as if she was starved for his taste was an unknown, somehow involved with Royal felines. She might even be associated with the group who ran the trafficking ring that had decimated their species. The possibilities chilled him. He allowed each scenario to surface before pushing them aside to be dealt with later.
Jasmine was the first female to stir his instincts and awaken his primal side. He wanted to savor her. Besides, if she viewed him as a male she desired, she’d be more likely to share the details of her personal life. That was reason enough to touch her. It was necessary.
The door clicked closed with his kick, blocking out the laughter and music. He carried Jasmine to the leather couch he’d spied earlier and lowered her without breaking the melding of their mouths. Stretched over her, Rafe slipped his hand into the fall of her hair and cradled the back of her head.
On and on, they kissed until she looped her arms around him and hooked a leg over his, allowing him to settle against her. The move assured him she felt safe in his arms. It was exactly the sign he wanted.
Rafe broke the kiss and settled a hand over her hip. The rough cloth of her skirt teased his fingertips. A shiver raced down his spine. He slid his hand lower.
“What are you doing?” She tightened her grip on his shirt, balling the material in her fists, but she didn’t push him away. Or tell him to stop.
He propped on his elbow, giving her space. It also allowed him to judge her reaction. He didn’t want to push her into doing something she didn’t want, but he needed to touch her, exactly as he’d claimed. “Touching you. You want that, don’t you?”
Her half-lidded, drowsy gaze met his.
“You do enjoy being touched, don’t you?” He repeated, giving her yet another opportunity to deny him.
She swallowed hard but didn’t respond.
“Answer me.” He couldn’t take her silence as an agreement. He needed a confirmation neither of them could deny.
Jasmine parted her mouth slightly on a slow exhale. “Yes.”
He gripped the edge of her skirt. “Good.”
“But we shouldn’t…” She skimmed a hand over his chest. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“I should say yes.”
Hunger burned in her eyes, but her lip caught between her teeth spoke of her warring desires.
“Look at me.”
She met his gaze.
“We’re not going to have sex, but I want to touch you. Hear you moan my name. No one else’s. Your pleasure is mine tonight.”
“I don’t know you.”
“You will.” Whether she learned the intimate details of his life or simply the basics depended on her connection to Megan.
“We’re in a public place.” Excitement lent her words a breathy quality.
“That’s why we came back here.”
“You planned this?”
“Not exactly. I wanted to talk to you in private.” He kissed her jaw. Her eyelids fluttered. “But you’ve distracted me.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“A mutual friend.”
Her brows pinched. “Are you talking about Jo—”
Rafe drew her lower lip into his mouth and sucked. She made a pleased sound that encouraged him. “Later. We’ll talk later. Okay?”
“Yes. Okay.”
Then he loved her as best he could without joining their bodies. Her kisses enflamed him. Everything about Jasmine appealed to him. Her taste, her soft skin under his fingertips, the way she moved with him, and those little sounds she made. Her low moans nearly killed him, testing his self control.
Finally, he eased back. He had to or else he’d break his promise to keep their clothes on.
Jasmine skimmed her fingertips across his back to settle at the base of his spine and pulled him closer. His breath rushed out with the simple move. More rightness settled over him. He wanted to curl his body around hers and…hold her. Not have sex with her. Just tuck her against his chest so her breath warmed his skin.
He turned his head. A deep breath cleared his mind of the thoughts he couldn’t allow to take root. “Thank you for the kiss, my Jasmine.”
She traced his cheek. “Shouldn’t that be my line?”
Rafe sucked her fingers into his mouth, caressing each tip with his tongue before releasing them. “No line. I feel privileged to be the male gifted with your passion.”
She released a shaky breath. “Wow. You’re a dangerous man, Rafe Alexander.”
In more ways than one. If his instincts failed him, then she would learn exactly how dangerous he was. But wouldn’t allow those thoughts to take hold. Not yet. The cats he’d been born with would never have allowed him to touch Jasmine if they doubted her. He had to trust them.
Whatever secret she held, he’d uncover, and he needed to do so soon. There was a good chance he’d gotten himself addicted to the woman.
Chapter 4
Jazz couldn’t move. Her body lay boneless, sated, and so relaxed she could’ve drifted off to sleep if not for the heavy weight of the man who’d kissed her keeping her awake. Rafe’s head rested on her stomach while he skimmed his fingers up her side. The sweeping exploration reached under her shirt to skim along the edge of her bra, but he made no move to unhook it. He hesitated each time as if he were debating whether he wanted to push for more. At the moment, with her body humming and pliant, she wouldn’t have resisted him.
Rafe would know it too. With the easy, confident way he’d touched her, she had no doubt he was well experienced. Unlike her. She hadn’t had any sexual relations in… five years.
Jeez, she hadn’t realized it’d been so long. She went from abstinence to fooling around with a stranger in a single night.
The rashness of her actions choked her. She tensed.
Rafe’s fingers stilled. He lifted his head and peered at her through the blond strands of his hair.
