Act of Passion Read online

  Brooke thought she might honestly faint if he kept going. It took a second to remember to breathe. She did and felt lightheaded. She was vaguely aware of Malik inching her dress up slowly.

  “Malik,” said Boomer, sounding close. “Don’t do this out here with her, where every man in the club can see. Unless you want Asshat getting a firsthand view of her ass.”

  Malik broke the kiss and she could have sworn there was amber in his eyes again. He glared at Boomer, snarling, sounding like a large-breed cat.

  Boomer put his hands in the air. “I’m not saying it to get you going. I’m saying it so you take the show somewhere private.”

  He continued to glare at his friend.

  Brooke touched his chin. “Malik, I’m ready.”

  “Ready?” he asked, still looking as if he wanted to rip someone’s head off.

  She blushed and gave him a knowing look.

  His eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Really,” she said with a smile.

  Bending, he lifted her off her feet and carried her over the dance floor, past Edee and Striker.

  Edee tossed her hands in the air in a celebratory manner. “Be gentle to start and then fuck her until she loses consciousness!”

  Striker laughed. “Och, lass, you may verra well be worse than me.”

  “Thanks,” returned Edee, still smiling at the sight of Brooke being carried out of the club.

  Chapter Seven

  Malik poured himself a drink at the wet bar in his room and used the moment to try to cage his beast. It had been beating at him from the inside out since he’d arrived at the hotel and caught the scent of honey and lotuses.

  The scent of Brooke.

  Her scent had made its way to him in the lobby and his lion had nearly burst free, and it had taken all his control to stop it. When he’d figured out the source of the smell was a woman, and that a man was hurting her, he’d shut off. He’d wanted to kill the bastard in the most painful of ways, and then he’d wanted to fuck the woman until she knew she was his.

  Mine.

  He winced, his beast still acting up.

  Having her in his room, wanting to be with him, nearly did him in. He needed a drink to take the edge off. He looked at his reflection in the mirror above the wet bar, noting the feral look in his eyes. “She’s human. She’s not mate material. Pull yourself together,” he whispered to himself in hopes it would sink in fully.

  “Malik?” she asked, her voice sounding timid.

  The last thing he wanted was for her to fear him in any way. He polished off his drink and poured another, unable to face her at the moment.

  “Should I take my clothes off now?” she asked, and his cock hardened to the point he thought he’d come in his pants. “That was a stupid question, wasn’t it? Of course you’ll want my clothes off. Sorry. I’m a bag of nerves.”

  Dear gods, she was going to kill him.

  He set his glass down and turned to face her. He had every intention of slowly undressing her, unwrapping the prize beneath, but his beast had other ideas. Before he realized what he was doing, he had her lifted off the floor, his mouth crashing down on hers.

  She returned the kiss, her legs wrapping around his waist, which left her long dress riding high, exposing long bare legs to him. He growled into her mouth as he cupped the back of her thighs. Everything on him was heightened, making his entire body tingle with pleasure.

  Brooke began to grind on him, and he lost the last shred of control he had. He reached between them and undid his pants. Much to his delight, Brooke’s hands moved over his. She reached in and freed his erection, stroking it with an eagerness that spurred him onward. Jerking, he thought he’d come then and there. He fought with the buttons on his shirt with one hand before ripping it open, sending buttons flying in all directions. To hell with the fact it had cost over five hundred dollars. He wanted to be skin to skin with Brooke.

  She pushed his leather pants down more and began jerking him off in a way that was going to make him come in seconds if she continued, and he wasn’t a man who came easily that way—or any way for the last few hundred years. She raked her nails over his shaft lightly and Malik’s lion roared within.

  The next he knew, he was reaching under her, a claw emerging from his fingertip before he tore through her panties. The claw receded at once.

  Malik was about to walk Brooke to the bed so he could spread her out and lick her until she screamed his name and was good and ready to take all of him, when she lifted herself on him, lined up with his cock, and pressed the head of his dick to her soaked, hot core.

  “Brooke,” he managed between kisses and the urge to fuck her in two. He didn’t even have his pants down yet. He couldn’t recall a time he’d ever been this eager to be in a woman. This driven to join.

  “Yes,” she responded. “A thousand times over, yes.”

  “You’re not ready yet.”

  She bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. His inner beast took the lead, wanting what she was offering. Malik thrust into her, tearing through resistance. He couldn’t think harder on it because her body gripped his so tight that he nearly came then and there. She cried out in his arms, her legs wrapping tighter around his waist as he rooted in her.

  Malik continued to control the movements and the speed with which they made love. And it was making love. It was hard and carnal, but it meant something to him. He wanted to drive like a piston into her, but the threat of breaking her was all too real. As a supernatural male, he could easily harm a human woman. His beast was already acting off—harder to control than normal despite the suppression drugs he’d taken before the mission. If anything, he seemed worse than normal, not better, and he’d never had control problems before.

  Brooke dug her nails into his upper chest. “That feels so good.”

  He smiled against her cheek as he kissed his way to her lush lips. He pounded into her, driving himself deep into her tight, wet channel. He caught the faint whiff of blood and knew he was smelling her innocence that he’d taken.

  A swelling of pride rose in him, but he couldn’t understand why. She was hardly the first virgin he’d bedded. He’d been with thousands of women in the thousands of years he’d been alive. He’d been with so many they’d all started to blend into the same. But not Brooke. The very thought of other women turned Malik’s stomach as he continued to drive himself into Brooke.

  The woman was unlike anything he’d ever felt wrapped around his cock. He wanted to explode deep in her and bathe her womb in his come. That was something he’d never done before. In all his years, he’d never released in a woman. But it was all he wanted to do with Brooke. The carnal need to mark her was nearly maddening.

  Afraid he’d do the unthinkable and lose control of his shifter side, Malik took a deep breath and walked Brooke across the room to the wall, using the moment to try to collect himself. He then pressed her body to the wall with his, putting his hands to the surface. When he felt that he had at least a thread of restraint, he began to move in and out of her again.

  She wiggled just right, making his ball sac tighten in preparation for release. He was about to pull out of her even though he didn’t want to when her pussy fluttered around his cock. A gasp of pleasure came from her as she orgasmed.

  Reason left him and he slammed into her, jetting seed into her, his beast roaring from within with victory.

  A niggle of fear crept up on Malik, but Brooke’s demanding kisses chased it away. He should have been sated at least for a bit, but his cock hardened again, still inside her. There was no stopping him as he found a rhythm that made her squirm in his arms and her channel continued to tighten in bursts around his shaft.

  Chapter Eight

  Malik came awake to find it was still dark out. He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept. He found that he was partially draped over Brooke’s naked form, effectively pinning her sleeping body to the bed. Even asleep he’d been afraid of losing contact with her. Whatever the scie
ntists at PSI had given him needed some serious work. If it was supposed to help supernaturals with control issues, it was a failure.

  Big time.

  He could still feel his lion just below the surface, still wanting to bite Brooke, forever marking her—claiming her. He knew he should go somewhere else, even to one of his teammate’s rooms, but the idea of being far from her set his beast even closer to the edge.

  He stared at Brooke, committing every tiny detail of her to memory. She was simply breathtaking. Not only that, she was funny and didn’t seem to understand just how beautiful she was.

  He reached for his cell phone on the side table and took a picture of her, something he’d never bothered doing with any other woman. He didn’t want to forget her. Not that he ever could. Still, he wanted something for himself—a token of their time together. He set his phone back on the side table.

  The sounds of music filtered up and through the open doors that led out to the balcony. Below, one of the outdoor bars was still in full swing. He realized then that he must have only dozed off for a bit. As his cock stirred to life, he groaned. It should have been more than satisfied for weeks with as many times as he’d been with Brooke before they’d fallen asleep, but it was as if he’d never even taken the edge off his need for sex.

  No. My need for Brooke.

  His chest tightened with concern. He couldn’t keep her. She was human. And his lion side was simply confused from the suppression drugs that had gone sideways. That would work itself out and he’d lose interest, as he did with every woman he’d ever bedded. Though, with the others, he was generally bored by now. And he never slept next to any of them. No. He was the type of man who got what he wanted and left right away. He didn’t stay to hold women or have tender moments.

  As he looked at the way he was pinning Brooke to the bed with his body, he knew just how much the drugs had messed with his system. They’d turned him into a cuddler. That should have been enough to motivate him to sneak out of the bed and leave Brooke, but it wasn’t.

  His gaze trailed down the length of her body, settling on her abdomen.

  Claim her.

  His breath caught at the inner drive to make her his.

  Did his lion not understand she wasn’t mate material? She was human. That meant she couldn’t be his mate. It was impossible. And he’d know if she was a supernatural, right? His senses weren’t that out of whack, were they?

  He found himself reaching out and skimming his fingers over Brooke’s cheek ever so lightly. He didn’t want to wake her. She needed her rest, but he did want to caress her.

  Her eyelids fluttered open and her olive gaze locked on him. A smile tugged at the edges of her lips.

  “Is it morning already?” she asked, her voice husky from sleep.

  “No, my sweet,” he said, surprising himself with the term of endearment. He wasn’t the type of man who used pet names with women. He’d never found the need or desire to, but he wanted to whisper in his native language to her and tell her everything he felt for her. Things he shouldn’t feel for her, as he’d only just met her, not to mention she was human. But the words were on the tip of his tongue, so much so that they spilled out.

  Brooke lifted a brow. “I’m either very tired or that wasn’t English.”

  He stilled, stunned he’d just confessed to being in love with her. That was absurd. Wasn’t it?

  It didn’t feel very crazy at the moment.

  Fucking suppression drugs.

  “Malik?” she asked, her hand going to his bare chest. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, my sweet,” he offered softly, wanting to calm her worry.

  “Mmm, what did you say before? What language was it? That wasn’t Arabic, was it? It’s familiar to me.”

  “It’s a language that isn’t really spoken anymore. One that I haven’t spoken in centuries,” he said.

  A giggle erupted from her. “Centuries? Being a bit dramatic there, aren’t you? You’re making yourself out to be an honest-to-God ancient Egyptian like Boomer teased you about.”

  He found himself nodding partially, unable to outright lie to her.

  “Tell me what you said.” She bit her lower lip seductively.

  He ran his thumb over her lip. “I told you things you are not ready to hear, and I’m not sure I’m ready to translate.”

  “You didn’t tell me that you’re married, did you?” she asked, her body stiffening.

  He laughed softly. “No. I’m not married.”

  Yet.

  The more he looked at her there in bed with him, the more he wanted to claim her, making her his wife in the eyes of the supernatural community. How he wanted to shout from the rooftops that he’d found the woman for him.

  Her olive eyes traced his face and a wicked grin spread over hers. “In case I forget to tell you, thanks for being my first.”

  He touched her arm, his beast stirring from within. “And I will be your only.”

  She didn’t comment.

  As he watched her, soaking in her beauty, the picture he’d taken began to weigh on him. With a sigh, he reached back and grabbed his phone again. He pulled up the picture he took of her and handed her the phone.

  “If you don’t want me having that, delete it,” he said, hoping she wouldn’t.

  She held the phone and smiled wide at him. “You took a picture of me sleeping?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re offering me the chance to delete it? Why?” she asked.

  He grunted. “Because it’s intimate and I should have asked you first. I just wanted something of you, I don’t know. It was stupid and I may be an asshole, but even I have my limits.”

  “Malik, you took a very beautiful picture of me. I’m naked but you can’t tell in the picture. Thank you for that. I don’t want to delete it.” She bit her lower lip. “Can I have a picture of you?”

  He squirmed. He couldn’t allow photos of himself to go into the world. He didn’t age. He didn’t need a digital footprint proving as much. It was one thing for the guys to take photos of each other. They knew better than to release them into the world or to social media. Well, at least most of them did. Striker had issues following that rule. A human wouldn’t understand that there even were rules.

  She lowered her gaze. “Whatever you do that you can’t tell me about means you can’t let me take a picture of you, doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, my sweet,” he said softly.

  She held the phone out for him. “I understand. I won’t lie that I wish things could be different, but I knew what I was getting into when I entered the room. You’re not the type of guy who calls the next day, or ever. I know I won’t ever see you again after this is done. Thank you for giving me a night I’ll never forget. I hope it was at least semi-memorable for you too.”

  He grabbed for her and ran his hand into the back of her hair, pulling her mouth closer to his. He kissed her, wanting to show her how much she meant to him. How much he didn’t want their night to end. He eased off the kiss slightly. “Call your cell from mine. My number will be in your phone then, and yours will be in mine.”

  She raised her brows but took his phone and dialed hers. It rang in her small bag across the room. The smile she cast at him moved him down to his very soul.

  “There are things about me, about my life, that I can’t talk about with you, Brooke, but if you’re open to the idea of seeing where this goes, I’m in.” His words shocked him. He’d just told a human woman he wanted a relationship with her. Hell, he’d never told any woman that. Human or not.

  “What do you mean, exactly?” she asked, watching him carefully.

  He kissed the edge of her lips softly. “It means I want something with you that I’ve never wanted before. I want a future with you. If you’ll have me.”

  Her skepticism was easy to read by her expression. He couldn’t exactly blame her.

  A thought occurred to him. “What if I was able to find you a job close to where I work? Would
you consider it?”

  All that did was make her look at him as if she was waiting for the punch line. He wasn’t sure how to handle the burning need to never let her go. He’d never asked a woman to commit to a relationship before and was apparently shit at it.

  He brushed her hair back from her cheek. “Brooke, I have a lot of connections within the DOD and private organizations where cyber security is a must. I know I can find you something perfect close to my headquarters.”

  “Headquarters?” she asked.

  He cringed. “Uh, ignore that bit. Focus on the idea of taking a job close to me. Not that you have to work.”

  “I kind of do if I want to live and eat,” she said calmly.

  “Move in with me,” he blurted.

  Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, but what?”

  Malik found his face heating as he tried to find the right words to convince her to come back home with him. He knew it was incredibly stupid to ask a human to live with him, but he didn’t care. He’d find a way to keep what he was a secret from her. He’d find a way to make it work. “Move in with me and you don’t need to worry about a job. Money isn’t an issue for me. I’ll give you whatever you want. Name it and it’s yours.”

  Brooke touched his eyebrow and traced her fingers over it, before trailing them down his face slowly. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to make that sound like you’d be buying me.”

  “No, gods no,” he said, only to have her press her finger to his lips to silence him.

  “Malik, I know you didn’t mean it that way, and what you’re offering is very generous and very sweet, but we just met. I don’t really think you want to have me move in when you’ve known me less than a day.”

  “Well, you’d be wrong,” he said, even with her finger against his lips. “I want you, Brooke.”

  “We don’t know each other well enough to move in together,” she said, tugging lightly on his lower lip.

  He drew her finger into his mouth and sucked on it, his gaze locking on hers. “I know I want you with me. I know thinking of not having you near me sets me on edge.”