Tempting the Beast

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Merinus watched Callan stalk the house as she ate. When she lay down on the couch, her thighs clenched tightly together to try to finish watching the movie, he growled and stalked back to the bedrooms. She sighed wearily. Her cunt was so hot it felt on fire. She could feel the dampness on her panties, the slick juices coating her bare cunt flesh.

She was miserable. Empty. So empty she wanted to scream at him to take her, to fill her, to ride her hard and deep like he had in the forest. That dominance, the rougher sex, the utter loss of control he displayed only spurred her lust higher. She shivered, remembering his teeth locking onto the sensitive skin between neck and shoulder, the sharp incisors barely piercing the skin, the sensual pain edging her pleasure higher. She hated that. Hated knowing that she was so depraved she would enjoy it; that she needed it again, only hours later.

She shifted her position on the couch, her head cushioned on the pillowed armrest, her thighs pulled up to her abdomen. Oh God, she hurt. The muscles of her vagina clenched, spasmed. It wept slowly in hot, pulsing arousal. She bit her lip, her eyes going to where Callan stomped into the kitchen. The refrigerator opened, a lid popped. He stalked back to the doorway, his gaze heavy lidded, dangerous as he watched her. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink.

“I can smell your scent all through this house,” he growled as he lowered the bottle, now only half full. “What are you trying to prove by denying us both?”

Merinus felt drowsy, sensual as his eyes went over her. She wanted to roll to her back, spread her legs and plead. She fought the desire, her muscles tightening as she stared at him, denying herself and him.

He looked so damned sexy standing there. Tall and broad and aroused. His face was tense, his body taut. The muscles in his abdomen were tight, drawing her gaze to his thighs. Oh man, he was like a perfect sculpture of some sex god.

“I can’t take the chance,” she whispered, turning her gaze back to a show she had little interest in. “I won’t conceive—”

“There is little chance of that as of yet.” Callan shook his head. “You are grasping at excuses, Merinus.”

She was, she knew. She was terrified, not of Callan, but of herself. She was terrified of the building needs, the utter lack of mercy her lust had on her emotions. She couldn’t separate emotional need from sexual need anymore. Not since this morning. Not since he had taken her, hard and dominating, controlling her body, her responses. Not since he had held her those minutes afterwards, his tongue rasping gently over the small wound on her neck.

The mark was still there. She could feel it throbbing, pulsing in time to her heartbeat, begging for his kiss, his caress. The sharp little pain of his teeth clenching it.

“I have to control it,” she whispered.

Her brothers would be here soon. They would have an answer. She knew them, but she would have to be careful. They would take her from Callan and she couldn’t allow that. She barely controlled her whimper of emotional pain, not just sexual. Her body ached for him, but her heart hurt. She didn’t want to leave. Not yet. She just wanted this ‘thing’ tormenting them to ease. She wanted to lie in his arms, without the sexual heat building. She wanted to be held by him, touched, cared for. And she was terribly afraid it was nothing but the chemical lust for him. He seemed to have none of these needs.

His cock was hard. It strained against the soft material of his sweat pants, tenting the cloth, drawing her gaze and holding it. She swallowed tightly, licking her dry lips as she wondered how he would taste. In the heat of the frenzy of lust in the last days, it was an experience she had not been given time for. She realized now that she wanted it. She wanted to run her tongue over the bulging head of his cock, feel it jerk against her lips, discover the difference in it that occurred as his orgasm neared.

She closed her eyes, fighting the need. Fighting not just his desire, but also her own.

“Merinus, this will not work,” he warned her, his voice hardening. The latent male dominance that lurked just beneath the soft growl had her trembling.

His voice was rough when he took her, too. When he climaxed, his chest rumbled with an animalistic grumble that made her shiver to think about it. He was the ultimate male animal, sexual, arrogant in his prowess and his abilities. Muscular, strong, every bone and muscle in his body in perfect shape. She wanted to taste the skin stretched over those hard planes and angles. She wanted to lick him, nibble at his flesh and hear him groan her name. She wanted to stretch over him, rub against him, find some relief for her aching nipples against his hot flesh.

She opened her eyes, focusing on the flames and explosions playing out on the television. It was safer than staring at the hard cock threatening to burst through Callan’s pants, but it provided little distraction from the flesh between her thighs pulsing and screaming out its demand.

“I can make it work. I’m incredibly stubborn, ask my brothers,” she told him, her voice sounding much more determined than she felt.

“I need to ask your brothers nothing,” he bit out forcefully, his voice beginning to rumble. Oh, she loved that sound. Even though it did feel as though the vibrations of it echoed in her womb. “You are the most aggravating female I’ve ever met in my life.”

Merinus shrugged. The movement caused her T-shirt to shift against her hard nipples. She almost groaned at the pleasure. Damn. She wished he would just go away. Go away or take the decision out of her hands and pound into her until she was screaming out her orgasm. That was what she wanted. She wanted what she had earlier, Callan’s hands rough on her body, in her hair, driving her to heights she had never known existed. And yet she didn’t want it. It equally drew her and terrified her.

“I could ease you in other ways, Merinus,” he bit out. He still hadn’t moved from the doorway.

She glanced up at him. He watched her intently, waiting for any sign of weakness. She steeled her resolve. She could do this. She could make her body do as she wanted it to. Not the other way around.

Merinus swallowed tightly. “No. I’d beg you to complete it, Callan. It doesn’t ease until you come inside me.”

The fiery wash of his seed, blasting hard and hot inside her cunt was the only relief from the building pressure. No matter how many times she climaxed, how many different ways, it was only that final action that allowed her body to cool down from a boil to a simmer.

“You risk my self control this way,” he told her softly. “As your need builds, so does mine. Just as it happened this morning. You tempt the beast taking you, rather than the man, Merinus.”

She looked into his face. The beer bottle was empty, though he still gripped it tightly. His face was drawn in a mask of concern, of desire. His amber eyes almost glowed, hot and demanding. Her pussy heated further. Oh, she wanted him. She could fuck him for hours and never get enough.

“You aren’t a beast,” she told him, her voice soft as she glimpsed the regret in his eyes.

It bothered him, she knew, these needs, the domination he fought to keep from exerting over her, the control he fought to hang onto. He didn’t like the instincts raging at him, any more than she liked those raging at her.

“But I am, Merinus,” he sighed, looking down at the bottle he held for long moments. When he looked at her again, there was remorse, and acceptance. “I don’t deny what I am. To do so would risk my sanity. And you can’t either. You can never forget that the animal is there, lurking beneath the surface. It’s dangerous to do otherwise.”

The problem was, the beast within him didn’t frighten her nearly as much as it seemed to bother him. She felt her inner muscles tighten, her womb clench with the heated memory of his loss of control. How much more dominant could he become, she wondered, then shivered at the thought.

“Merinus, don’t do this,” he told her, his voice tormented now. “You are denying yourself and me. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She heard the plea in his voice. She wanted to give in, she wanted to turn to him, to ease the fire ripping through her body, but she couldn’t. Not now. Not yet. It wasn’t a need to tempt him, or even her curiosity in the face of the lack of control he warned her about. She no longer controlled her own body, and she knew this was the root of her problem. She needed that control. She needed to dictate when she wanted to fuck and when she wanted to cuddle, not her body or this chemical reaction driving her insane.

“Not yet.” She closed her eyes, fighting her tears, fighting her body.

It was her body, dammit. It had a mind of its own lately and it was killing her.

Callan watched her a moment longer, then with a sizzling curse stalked from the room again. Merinus sighed, her breathing rough now that he was no longer in the room. She couldn’t control the soft whimper that escaped her lips. She was only thankful the television masked the sound.

She was breathing hard, fighting to draw air into her lungs as her inner flesh clenched, demanded relief. Her clit actually throbbed and her nipples were torturously hard, aching for the warmth of his mouth. Her hand moved, her fingers running over the hard points lightly, her body trembling at the incredible pleasure the action brought her.

Her head ground into the pillowed headrest. She felt her juices pool between her thighs. Suppressing her groan, she sat up on the couch, bracing her elbows on her knees as she raked her fingers through her hair. Her fingers dug into her scalp. She shivered again. Even that tiny pain was exciting.

She could control this. She took a deep breath, reining in the madness that threatened to whip through her. She could make it. Self-control, that was all it took. If a person could get through drug withdrawal, surely she could get through Callan withdrawal. It was just a matter of controlling the urge. That was all.

She nodded firmly. The action shifted her shirt again, raking her sensitive nipples and she bit her lip to hold back her moan.

Something cold to drink. One of Callan’s beers. Hell, he had a whole fridge full. She stood to her feet, a shudder working over her body as her panties pressed against her clit. Oh God, she was going to come from thong friction alone. She was pitiful.

Stepping carefully, she moved into the kitchen and jerked one of the beers out of the refrigerator. She twisted the cap, hearing the faint hiss. She turned the bottle up to her mouth, taking a long, cold drink. Then she held the frosted bottle between her breasts, taking a deep breath as she leaned against the appliance for support. This was bad. Really bad.

“Where’s Callan?” Sherra stepped into the kitchen, her eyes narrowed as she watched Merinus drink from the beer.

“In bed.” She would have shrugged if she could have handled the sensation of cloth rasping over her breasts.

“How long since he fucked you?” Sherra asked bluntly.

Merinus rolled her eyes. “Long enough to suit me.”

Yeah. Right. Not in this lifetime.

Sherra’s lips firmed.

“It’s not a good idea to deny this when it’s so strong, Merinus. You know how bad it gets.” Sherra moved to the sink, pouring herself a glass of water and drinking it quickly.

“How would you know?” she bit out. “I don’t see you crawling all over some man trying to get off.”

Sherra looked away, her expression cool, but a glimpse of tormented eyes filled Merinus with remorse.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that, Sherra. But it’s my body, my decision,” Merinus bit out, then tipped the bottle up and finished the beer. It wasn’t enough. She needed something to chill her out now. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed another.

She popped the lid quickly and took a long drink.

“Dangerous, Merinus.” Sherra walked toward her, frowning at the drink. “We don’t know how alcohol will mix with this chemical reaction between you and Callan.”

“Guess we’re about to find out then.” Merinus laid the bottle along her temple. It was cool and comforting against her flushed skin. “Can you turn the a/c down a little further, Sherra?” She asked. “It’s hot in here.”

She closed her eyes, the appliance now supporting her as she breathed heavily. It was stifling, and only growing warmer.

“It’s not the a/c, Merinus,” Sherra told her, her voice quiet. “It’s the reaction. The withdrawal. You need to go to Callan.”

“I can control this,” Merinus said, more to convince herself than Sherra. “It will just take time.”

She took another drink of the beer, finally feeling the effects of it beginning to penetrate the haze of lust. Mating frenzy, what a hell of a name to call it, she thought. She had never seen her damned cats act this way. They screamed and squalled and got it on and then were done with each other. This was ridiculous.

“Merinus, the alcohol could have severe affects—” Sherra began to caution her.

“So could sex with Callan,” she argued. “For God’s sake, Sherra, his little soldiers are counteracting the contraceptive you keep poking in my arm. His sperm is changing and becoming normal, and only God knows when I’ll start ovulating, if I’m not doing so on a daily basis. I do not want to end up pregnant by a man who doesn’t love me or need me other than to scratch some fucking chemical itch that’s developed between us. Why can’t you guys understand that?”

Merinus could feel the anger raging inside her now. It did this before. She remembered that. That day in the lab, when Sherra and the doctor wouldn’t stop touching her, poking at her. She eased over to the table and sat down. The pain had come next. Great blinding waves of erotic pain that left her weak and gasping. Then Callan had kissed her. The taste of him, male and spicy, so hot, had made her crazy to beg him to fuck her. But it had eased the terrible craving. Maybe all she needed was a kiss?

She could handle a kiss. His lips rough and hot, his tongue plunging into her mouth, caressing hers, mimicking the movements his cock would make later, driving her insane for more. Or his tongue plunging between her legs. That’s where she wanted it. Lapping at her, fucking into her needy pussy as he growled against the folds of skin. She finished the beer quickly.

“I’m going to go lay down.” She stood up, sagged momentarily, but gathered her strength and toddled to the couch. Damn, a few beers had never affected her this way before.

“I’ll sit here with you for a while,” Sherra sighed, following close behind her. “You should let me help you into bed at least, Merinus.”

“Nope. I am not getting within three rooms of Callan. Damn him. A whole house isn’t enough space right now.”

“It would be if you would stop fighting it,” Sherra suggested.

Merinus collapsed on the couch. She tucked herself against the back, folding her body tight, feeling the waves of aroused pain beginning to build.

“Go away,” Merinus muttered. “I don’t need this right now.”

The first wave rocked her body. Merinus closed her eyes, fighting to relax against the heat, the hard slam of rushing demand that washed over her. She breathed deeply, feeling her vagina spasm in a harsh wave, and her juices ease from her body. Her panties would be soaked in no time, she thought with a depressed sigh.

This was unlike anything she had ever known could exist. They should bottle whatever it was Callan had that did this. It could make a fortune. An aphrodisiac unlike any other.

Sherra didn’t leave. Merinus was aware of her sitting quietly beside her on the couch, watching her closely. Like a damned germ under a microscope, Merinus thought snidely. That was how she was beginning to feel. Minutes later she was aware of Sherra rushing from the room. It didn’t take her long to return. Of course, she had her little basket of goodies with her.

“Open your mouth.”

Merinus groaned, but did as she was asked. A swab stroked over her dry mouth. What good it was going to do them, Merinus had no idea. Then she clenched her teeth, trying not to fight the next wave of lustful demand. It was harder than the last, pulling at her womb, tightening her cunt. Damn, she would strangle Callan’s cock if he got inside her now.

“Vaginal sample.” Sherra moved towards her.

“Try it and I’ll kill you,” Merinus gasped. “Leave my damned pussy alone. It has enough problems right now.”

But she didn’t fight when the swab eased quickly past the leg of her shorts and swiped through the juices at her vaginal entrance.

“I’m a fucking sex experiment,” Merinus groaned.

“I really need a blood sample now,” Sherra worried. “It’s really important.”

“You guys should have been vampires,” Merinus bitched, but she held her arm out as Sherra pushed the coffee table close to the couch for her to rest it upon.

“I won’t touch you unless I have to,” Sherra promised

“Damned good thing. But wait just a minute,” Merinus gasped.

A shiver began in her womb, slowly working over her body, building, almost like a climax until Merinus was gasping for breath, her fists clenching as her body was rocked by a demand that took her breath. She heard Sherra curse violently as she moved back from her.

Merinus wasn’t certain how long it lasted, how long she fought to breathe. Her eyes were wide, her vision fuzzy as the waves of pulsing lust swept over her again and again. It was going to kill her. She knew it now, she would die, a slow, miserable horny death right here and now.