The feel of having those rock-hard nipples brushing his body sent a wave of heat spiraling through him. His fantasies of her over the years had never dimmed. No matter how hard he tried to forget about her.

Having her underneath him like this now was better than anything he could imagine. Reaching between them, he slid his hand down her stomach until he cupped her mound. Even with the lacy scrap of material covering her, he could feel her scorching heat.

As he pushed her panties to the side and slid a finger into her tight wet heat, he continued blazing a path of kisses down the column of her neck. Her fingers threaded through his hair as she gripped onto his head. She kept letting out soft moans that were driving him crazy.

When he reached one of her breasts, he hovered there for a moment, drinking her in. Her areola was light brown, almost blending with her tanned skin.

Before taking her nipple in his mouth he gently rubbed a thumb over it, watching as it hardened even more. Her inner walls tightened around the finger he had buried inside her. “I’ve thought about you a lot over the years. Fantasized about doing this,” he breathed against her hot skin.

Her hands tightened on his head. “Me, too. Even when I wanted to hate you I could never get you out of my head.” The words seemed to be ripped from her core.

Looking up at her, he saw the raw need in her dark eyes. With their gazes locked, he drew his finger out of her then slowly pushed back in. She sucked in a breath and rolled her hips against his hand. As he pulled out again, he added another finger. Her body was tight around him and it took all his restraint not to pull his fingers out and plunge into her with his cock. But she wasn’t ready and neither was he.

Using her wetness, he drew his fingers out and gently began teasing her clit. She jerked against him, her breathing becoming more erratic. Savoring her body’s reaction, he dipped his head down and sucked a nipple into his mouth.

As he flicked and teased the small bud with his tongue, he increased the pressure with his fingers. When they’d been sixteen and seventeen and had first started exploring each other’s bodies they’d never gotten this far. Not even remotely. There had been a lot of kissing and a lot of over-the-clothes groping. Of course he’d wanted more, but she hadn’t been ready and he hadn’t minded waiting. Hell, he’d have waited forever for her. Some primal part of him knew there would never be anyone else for him.

It was one of the reasons he’d never mated. Never even thought about it these past few years. Knowing Gabriela was out there had made it impossible to contemplate settling down with someone else. No one would ever hold a candle to her. Not as far as he was concerned. Unless she’d drastically changed since they’d been friends, he knew what her heart was like. She was loyal to a fault and incredibly giving. Another reason shame still burned bright inside him for the things he’d said so long ago. But there was no room for those thoughts right now. He didn’t want anything between them at the moment. Just pleasure.

When he switched breasts, her fingers slid from his hair down to his shoulders. She smoothed her hands over them, until she reached his biceps. Squeezing lightly, she tugged on him.

Lifting his head, he met her dark gaze. Fire seemed to dance in her eyes. “I want to see all of you.”

He’d wanted to give her more foreplay, to taste her again before taking her, but she killed all his good intentions. Seeing the hunger on her face and scenting her sweet need was too much for any man.

When he went to reach for his jeans, she stopped him, grabbing the button herself and practically ripping it off before she grappled with the zipper. Hurriedly she shoved at his pants, pushing them down his hips.

After pulling a condom from his back pocket, he kicked them completely off and his cock jutted out, desperate to be inside her. With heavy lidded eyes she stared at him. Her mouth parted slightly and when she licked her lips almost absently, he groaned. Her eyes snapped up to meet his and she actually blushed.

When she went to reach for him, he stopped her and quickly rolled the condom on. Under normal circumstances they wouldn’t have needed one but he could scent that she was in heat. Though he wanted to feel her gripping him, he didn’t have the kind of willpower to let her touch him now. He was barely hanging on to his control as it was.

There would be time enough later to feel her mouth and hands on his cock. He didn’t care what she said. One night would never be enough. And even if this was all they had together, they had the rest of the night in front of them and he didn’t plan to sleep for one minute. Right now he just needed to be inside her.

Leaning forward, he covered her body with his, sliding his hard length inside her wet sheath. He didn’t bother guiding himself with his hand because he didn’t need to. His cock knew exactly where it wanted to be.

Her thighs spread farther as she wrapped her legs around him. Arching her back into him, she dug her heels into his ass, urging him deeper. The feeling it created was so erotic his entire body ached.

As he pushed fully inside her she let out a soft moan. Her eyes were half open and her breathing was as unsteady as his. Being inside her like this, after so many years apart, was too surreal.

When she dug her fingers into his back, he covered her mouth with his. Despite his primal urge to thrust hard into her, to mark and claim her, he remained still and let her get used to his size. Her inner walls molded around him as if they were made for each other.

Leaning down until he reached right below her shoulder, he kissed and licked her scarred skin. The thought of anyone hurting her brought out all his protective urges. She shuddered underneath him, her fingers digging into his back.

“You feel amazing, but you have got to move.” Gabriela’s voice was urgent against his ear as she rolled her hips against his.

He could definitely do that. Pushing up on his elbows, he put enough space between them so that he could see her. Slowly, he moved his hips back until he was almost completely out of her. Then he pushed back in.

She grew wetter with each stroke and when he reached between their bodies and tweaked her clit, she jerked wildly against him. It still wasn’t enough for her, though. He could see that on her face. Her inner walls were constantly tightening around him, but not in that uncontrollable way he knew she would right before she climaxed.

“Cup your breasts, play with your nipples,” he ordered softly, wanting to see her pleasuring herself more than he wanted his next breath.

He could easily stroke and kiss her nipples but the thought of seeing her do it…A giant shudder raked through him as her hands came to rest under the soft globes.

With an almost mischievous grin she began strumming her nipples with her thumbs. Each time she did, she tightened even harder around him.

Though he wanted to drag this out, he needed to see her come and he needed release. The thought of coming inside her even with the condom on was almost enough to make him lose it. Soon enough he wanted to be in her with no barriers.

Right now he planned to see pleasure playing across her face. As he increased his movements he leaned down and took her mouth with his. Her fingers threaded into his hair, cupping him tight as their mouths met in a frenzied clash.

The energy that pulsed off her became as wild as their unrestrained movements. One of her hands moved around to his back and down to his ass where she gripped him tight. He flexed underneath her fingers with each thrust. The feel of her nails digging into him was a mix of pleasure and pain.

When her inner walls began convulsively tightening around him, he knew she was close. Groaning as she tore her mouth from his, she let her head fall back. Her entire body shuddered as her climax ripped through her. Her moans filled the cave, echoing off the stone walls like an erotic symphony and her grip on him didn’t lessen.

Burying his head against her neck, he let go of his last shred of control as his orgasm punched through him with a violent urgency. When the pleasure slowly ebbed, for one brief, horrifying moment he thought he’d marked her. His canines had involuntarily extended, his need to sink them into her neck while they were making love and claim her was a living thing inside him. It beat against his skull, commanding him to take what was his.

Blinking, he pulled slightly back. Gabriela’s eyes were closed and a blissful expression was on her face. And she didn’t have any markings on her neck. He pushed out a low sigh of relief. He wanted it, but she wasn’t ready yet. Maybe she’d never be.

Opening her eyes, Gabriela smiled and stretched her arms above her head. “That was…nice.”

“Nice?” he growled.

Grinning even wider, she grabbed on to his hips and reversed their position so that she was on top. “It was more than nice. And I want to do it again.”

Despite his intense climax he was still hard. Perk of being a shifter. Returning her smile, he tugged her down so that her breasts brushed his chest and her hair fell around his face. “We’re just getting started, sweetheart.”

Her inner walls clenched around him in response and he inwardly smiled. By tomorrow morning, he’d have her convinced that one night would never be enough. Even if she didn’t realize it yet, he knew that their bodies were made for each other.

Chapter 5

Before Gabriela opened her eyes she knew she was alone. Owen’s scent lingered strong in the air, as if he’d just left. Sitting up, she glanced around. Light filtered in from the entrance to the cave, letting her know it was early morning. Owen’s clothes were scattered next to hers and the fire had dwindled down to nothing.

Gathering her things, she quickly dressed, though she was glad she could still scent Owen all over her. It was almost as if he was in her skin. The thought pleased her. She’d scented herself deeply embedded in him last night, too. Normally only mated couples carried that distinctive fragrance of their other half, and she and Owen definitely weren’t that. Though he’d scraped his canines against her neck more than a few times last night. He’d come dangerously close to breaking the skin and a very deep part of her had ached for him to do so. If he’d pierced her skin with his canines and marked her, it would have told everyone she was off-limits. And if she’d marked him back…they would find themselves mated. Something that seemed too surreal to even think about.