Kiss of the Beast (A Classic Paranormal Romance) Read online

"Sorry doesn't get it, you—you... animal! That's what you sounded like and it's how you looked at me too. And as if that wasn't bad enough, you had the gall to tell me to open my legs like I was some kind of cheap sex toy you picked up to get your rocks off!" The hurt of it all caused her throat to tighten against the tears she refused to cry. Later she'd cry, but the hell if she'd let the reason for them see.

  He seemed to see anyway. The remorse in his eyes was vast, entreating her as he reached to cup her cheek.

  Eva jerked away. "Don't touch me."

  "Please. Please Eva, don't shun me for something I couldn't control."

  "I'll say you were out of control. C'mon, Urich, let's hear them. Excuses. Surely you have some."

  "All I have is the truth." He paused as if trying to put it into terms she could understand. A feathery brush to her cheek felt like the fingertips he clenched into a fist. "You were wanting me. All of me. And all of me responded to you, even the animal that you called to. There's one in you as well, but you've mastered it with a lifetime of denial. What you created in me went beyond desire, beyond description, something too strong and too savage to stop. Forgive me if you can. I never want to hurt you, Eva."

  His words rang of truth, a sincerity she couldn't doubt. She was still upset but Urich was closer to distressed. Miserable, in fact. And why? Because she'd gotten him so hot that he'd lost the control he usually had over her.

  Seemed the dry goods weren't as unappetizing as John had convinced her they were. Urich had wanted to eat her alive and she couldn't deny that it held a frightful appeal. And she was kind of flattered—in a peculiar sort of way.

  Not that she was up for a repeat performance, but she was too needful of this newfound allure to let it go.

  Her smile a little shaky, she admitted, "If I'd understood the reason for your behavior, maybe I would have lost a little control myself." And what would have happened if she had? The idea of them going after each other like wild things was the kind of fantasy one kept behind that gate where all things libidinous resided. An ominous realm; perhaps that's why she'd been so disturbed by those crude lyrics that had provoked an image which smacked of the forbidden. The forbidden. It wasn't a comfortable place for a woman who had been raised on the merits of denial. A lifetime of it.

  Testing the lock she'd snapped shut, Eva asked, "So, you really think there's an animal in me too?"

  "I'm sure of it."

  The lock gave way and she said, "I want to know more."

  He regarded her awhile, seeming to consider her readiness for some elusive revelation that only a diviner could grasp.

  "The problem is, you lack self-knowledge. Ignorance breeds fear. Fear eradicates power; just as belief accesses it. You're very brave, Eva, but not without fear. It holds you back from tapping the force at your core. Call the force your collective whole, your potential, whatever makes you, you—what you are and can be. The 'can be', it's... well, it's like a fierce creature, a lioness you've trapped with this need of yours for control. Let her loose. She's the core of your strength, your unrealized potential. Fear, especially of failure, that's what keeps you from becoming all you can be."

  The lioness. The bold, triumphant woman who embraced the night sky, she saw her again. But this time, Eva heard her as well. Lips parting, mouth open and releasing a majestic, shattering cry.

  The cry of the wild. The sound Urich had made. Her own, a ferocious feline cascade to his savage growl.

  It gave her the shivers. But those shivers were no contest against the lure of chancing a brief embrace of the lioness she could feel scratching to get out.

  In that embrace, Eva found she was woman. Everywoman. Strong enough to be soft; wise enough to listen to a foolish heart. A heart that could laugh joyously and hold an ocean of tears. Her love was infinitely gentle and just as vicious. A creature who would kill to protect her loved ones. She was nature itself. Earthy and rampantly sensual. A spiritual being who was universal, an eternal mystery to everyman.

  "You've seen her." Urich's tone implied reverence.

  "Yes," Eva said, her voice hushed. She felt as though she had entered a sacred temple and that temple was her soul. But what of her soul mate's? "I want to see you now."

  He laughed quietly, seductively. "Yin to yang, Eva. Water to fire. Sheath to sword."

  "Opponent to ally," she whispered.

  Urich frowned at that. But then he nodded and surprised her by saying, "You're right. In all worthy matches, a pitting of wiles and wills is necessary to discover who's the stronger and ultimately leads."

  How archaic to put the battle of the sexes into such terms. Eva started to point out that men and women were supposed to be equals. But some gene that had to be traced to the beginnings of time insisted otherwise, that Urich spoke the unvarnished truth. As did the wildish woman, the lioness.

  The mating dance of nature. It was old as Eden and no amount of progression could alter that fundamental hold.

  It seized her now. Eva looked Urich up and down, assessing this yang to her yin. A worthy match indeed, she tossed the gauntlet with a single slide of her finger over his chest. When he tried to capture her hand, she withdrew and issued the first challenge.

  "I can't help but wonder what's under that shirt." I am woman, hear me roar. With an aggressiveness that amazed her, delighted her, she said, "Take it off."

  Urich raised a lofty brow and with a confident smile, grasped the second-skin material. Slowly peeled.

  Dear God. He was gorgeous, a bronze study in massive, symmetrical perfection. But what truly stole her breath was the dusting of what was too fine and silky to qualify for hair. She likened it to mink sweeping over his chest, narrowing from there to his blocked stomach, gathering density in descent. The pattern was similar to an arrow pointing below the waist of his pants, a tempting directional to sneak a peek of where that sumptuous fur was headed beneath.

  He casually tossed the shirt to her feet. It was a gracious, cocky gesture which he followed with a neat bow. One that implied he was at her service while accepting the accolades he was certain his body deserved.

  Much as she hated to admit it, there was something damn sexy about his display—not unlike a rooster enticing a hen.

  "Your turn."

  "My turn! You don't think I'm actually about to—"

  "All right. Like you said, your body is yours and I'll respect it as such." He bent to retrieve his shirt.

  Eva's foot came down on it. "I want you to leave it off."

  "But it's not an even exchange," he informed her. "I exposed myself but you don't want to do the same. Fair's fair, so I'll return us to our equal state of clothing."

  Spoken like a computer with the strategy of a cunning man. You show me yours and I'll show you mine, was that it? Urich was smiling now, smugly, letting her know he'd won because he'd shown her his and she had chickened out.

  "Breasts are different," she reasoned.

  "Yes," he concurred, eyeing the breasts in question. "Let go of my shirt so our differences aren't so obvious."

  She couldn't let him win. She'd let John win then nursed her wounds by suffocating what was left of her feminine ego. It was her ego gasping for life again, telling her she had pretty breasts and they deserved to be flaunted with pride.

  Right under Urich's aquiline and much too gloating nose.

  Eva called to the lioness and felt a surge of confidence there for the taking. She took it and notched up her chin. A lick of her lips and there went the first button.

  Urich's smile thinned, she noted with satisfaction. Her satisfaction grew with each button released. By the time she dropped her shirt beside his, Urich's lips were straining against the teeth that surely wanted to take a bite.

  At the moment, she'd rather like that. But even more she wanted him to grind them in frustration.

  "The other." He indicated her bra. "Let me see, Eva," he said thickly. "Let me see your breasts."

  His gaze riveted on them, they grew warmer than they already
were, began to pulse with that same savage drum beat.

  Her heart matched its pace. She was losing her nerve.

  Uncountable times she had taken off her bra in front of John—her only lover, regrettably—and had managed okay. But now, when she wanted to be the epitome of self-assured finesse, she was all thumbs and fumbling fingers, unable to get the stupid hooks undone.

  A sob of defeat was in her throat when Urich laid his palms on her shoulders.

  "What I see is wonderful, just the way you are. There's no need for you to do this, not for me."

  "But I need to do it for me." And then she saw his understanding, the strength of his belief in her.

  She believed in herself. It was as close to ruling the sky as anyone could get, she realized with a flash of insight. No harder victory was won than defeating self-doubt.

  Claiming a sweet triumph, she easily parted hooks and slipped off a strap. With confidence and pride, she revealed a single breast. Urich didn't look at it. His gaze was on her face; his own conveyed admiration and open desire.

  Eva wanted the bra gone. But her impatient grasp of the last strap was stayed by deft fingers lacing with hers.

  "It's good to be strong by yourself," he murmured. "But it's even better to be strong together."

  Eva knew she could do it alone and that knowledge was enough. She guided the strap but allowed Urich to set a leisurely pace, his blunt nails tracing a path down her arm and making the rest of her quicken, quiver. Melt.

  Together they dropped her bra and all the uncertainties it represented to the floor.

  "I want you to look at my breasts, Urich."

  "I don't know if I dare. They'll tempt me."

  "I certainly hope so."

  Slow, so slowly it was a languid torture, he lowered his gaze. She felt the touch of it as if he were learning every detail of her skin with the fingertips he had elsewhere on her.

  Skating up her sides, rounding over each breast, circles that grew smaller and smaller until his thumbs pressed the taut bead of her nipples.

  The feel of him cupping her breasts, lifting, then consuming them with no less than awe in his gaze... heaven help her, she was more than melting. Eva latched onto his waist before she liquefied into a pool of ecstasy at his feet.

  "Ahhh," he breathed. "Never, never have I seen or touched anything to rival the beauty of this."

  Pretty as her breasts were, they weren't Silicone Valley perfect. But Urich thought they were the most beautiful things he had ever seen. And then she remembered.

  They were the only breasts he'd ever seen.

  Eva wished she hadn't remembered.

  "I'm glad you like them, Urich."

  "You don't sound glad."

  Damn, he got her every time. "I am. It's just that... well, you don't have any comparisons to draw from."

  "And you think this dilutes my opinion?" He shook his head and continued to stare at her breasts as if they were Mecca to a holy seeker.

  "It can't—can't help but..." Lord, she was could hardly form a coherent sentence. The way he was looking at her made her want to scratch her way down his chest and claw off his pants. How dangerously close she was to letting loose that animal rattling the cage of her lifetime of denial.

  Steadying herself, Eva put her hands to his chest. Her fingers sank into a texture so luxurious, so velvety rich that she would have wrapped herself in it if she could, wantonly wallowed in this touch of mink she was treading her fingers through. Beneath, his skin was butter smooth, warm as a hot toddy and just as intoxicating.

  The lioness was getting stronger. Too strong. Unfurling inside her with such power and ferocity, Eva knew she couldn't handle, much less master, this untamed creature. Yet.

  Forcing her hands away, she said as evenly as she was able, "the—the fact of the 'matter' is, Urich... well, as—as incredible as you are, our relationship is—"

  "Priceless." A pronouncement refusing debate.

  "Oh yes, yes it is," she hastened to assure him. "But unfortunately, very unfortunately, it's limited."

  "There aren't any limitations except those one places upon themselves. Don't limit us, Eva."

  "It's not me limiting us," she explained. His expression implied any perceived limitations were hers and hers alone. "What you have to understand, Urich, is that the perimeters of our relationship are confined to this chamber. We don't exist outside of it."

  "I exist. You're touching me, aren't you?" Urich grasped her hand and pulled it around his neck. His mouth lowered to hers, veered to her cheek. His lips grazed it then his teeth nipped an earlobe.

  "This is real, Eva," he whispered, breath hot and tickling more than her ear. "It's as real as your feelings for me. As real as mine are for you. If you have any doubt of how real you make me feel..." Gliding her hand down, he led her to cup what his pants were straining to contain. "Touch me, just like this, until you're amply convinced."

  Ample was an understatement. What did he have in there, enough ammunition to blow away ten women?

  The temptation was great to delve past fabric and fondle what promised to be more than a handful. But one temptation would surely lead to another, and though she'd made great strides tonight, she wasn't up for that ultimate leap.

  Urich was breathing hard, grinding his teeth while she lightly palmed him and did some heavy breathing of her own. Eva told herself the day would come when she would claim victory over all that held her back now.

  She forced her hand away. "I'm convinced."

  "Good," he said on a groan. His gaze turned inward and he seemed to be collecting himself while she hugged her arms to keep her hands off his chest and more. Especially more.

  A minute or several passed before he blew out a "whew", then bluntly asked, "Do you want me, Eva?"

  "I want you too much, Urich."

  "Then want me enough to quit confining us to this place. Let me go with you, away from here."

  A thought came to her, an absolutely crazy thought from out of nowhere, but there it was insisting she consider it.

  "It's not possible, or at least it shouldn't be, but... I wonder if you might actually be able to exist outside of the chamber." Not a chance, reason insisted. Eva rubbed her forehead, wanted to bang it against the limiting walls. "Forget that idea. It's—"

  "Brilliant. Let's go."

  "No!" Resisting his tug toward the exit, she dug in her heels and refused to budge. "We're not going anywhere, Urich. You require enormous amounts of energy to exist in any state, and the source of it can only reach so far. I'm sorry, but I just can't bear the thought of seeing you disintegrate while all I can do is watch. You're real to me here and being forced to accept that you're not—that's one heartbreak I don't need."

  "But you do need us," he argued. When she stubbornly held her ground, no more willing to argue than to move, he let it go with a shrug and a smile that qualified for crafty.

  "Then so be it—for now. I won't force your decision." He said it as if he could but was generous enough not to. "But promise me that you'll think about this."

  "I will." And she would. Later, when she was alone and Urich wasn't scrambling her emotions, making her mind jump through hoops, and sending her famished hormones into a feeding frenzy.

  "You'll think better without me. The sooner I go, the sooner you can get to your thinking."

  "But I don't want to say good-bye."

  "I'm always with you, Eva. Haven't you sensed it?"

  There it was, the itch she hadn't been able to scratch that had become a distinct presence. She cocked her head, contemplating him. "Do you really watch over me when you're not... I hate to say this, but—activated?"

  He smiled like a cat stealing cream.

  "Urich, you are beyond comprehension." Fairy dust, he must be made of it. Breathing him in, she felt high enough to fly. "What on earth are you?"

  His smile broadened, a disarming, beguiling smile.

  "An alien."

  For the space of a heartbeat she almost beli
eved him. But then he laughed, inducing her to play along with the joke.

  "Sure you are, Urich, sure you are." Eva laughed too and waved at the optical illusion of stars. "And I'm some queen of the universe."

  "You could be." He raised her hand and kissed it as though he were a gallant knight courting her favor.

  With that parting gesture he retrieved his shirt.

  The stars flickered. And Urich was gone.

  Chapter 7

  "You did what?" Raven came out of his chair with a speed Urich hadn't seen him move with in ages. "Urich, this is insanity."

  "I disagree. The chamber's too restrictive. Once she decides, as she will, to let me venture outside it, I can investigate the other surroundings."

  "We've tried this before. A terrible failure."

  "Mylar invited his own death by using poor judgment. My judgment is sound. And don't forget, Mylar didn't have the advantage that I do." Eva, he'd almost said. Catching the near slip, Urich dangled the carrot he knew Raven couldn't resist. "Dr. Campbell will take me into her home and once there I can solidify the liaison of friendship we want to establish with her—a lot quicker than by continuing with these brief charades."

  Cinching his win, Urich sent a nudge to Raven's way of thinking. Into his mind, out of his mouth.

  "If you're willing to accept this risk... the information you could gather would be invaluable to us. And it would be highly accessible if you're headquartered in her home."

  "Exactly. Trust me with this, Raven, and we'll succeed beyond our initial goal."

  "You're ambitious. Perhaps too much."

  "As you've often said, I am my father's son."

  Raven raised a warning finger. "You should speak to Zar of this. He may have some concerns about your potential loss to us. He's already lost so much, Urich."

  "As we all have."

  "Yes." Raven sighed heavily. "Be cautious. Danger comes in unexpected forms. Even Ethan could pose a threat."

  "I pose a much greater threat to him. Or to any other who would interfere with my purpose."

  Raven tapped his lips. "Even... Eva?"

  Eva interfered now, filling his thoughts when he had to be keenly careful in executing his own desperate plan.