Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

E tta sank back down in her chair as she heard the outer door close. That certainly hadn't gone as she'd expected. But while she was disappointed that he hadn't immediately agreed to her proposal, she was even more intrigued now.

What was causing his reaction to her? For that matter, what was causing her reaction to him? If someone had told her that she would enjoy a man behaving so dominantly, she would have laughed at them. But not only had she enjoyed that rush of excitement when he first touched her, she'd found it even more thrilling when his hand had tightened possessively around her breast. Was it some type of instinctive response? A feminine reaction to a dominant male?

She considered the idea for a moment, then immediately discarded it. She'd encountered a number of dominant men over the years and she'd generally found them both arrogant and annoying. They certainly hadn't excited her.

But Tomlin was different. He appeared calm and almost retiring, but there was a natural strength underlying that composed exterior, perhaps even a dangerous strength. She remembered what she had thought the first time she'd seen him - that he was a predator - but she didn't fear him.

Since she suspected it would be some time before he returned, she sighed and decided to return to her lab. She stopped by the bathroom long enough to retrieve her nightgown. As she let the robe slip to her feet, she looked down and saw five slightly reddened patches surrounding her breast - marks from his fingers. There was also something odd about the shape of the marks that she couldn't quite identify.

Shaking her head, she dressed quickly and was about to leave the bathroom when the doorframe caught her attention. It, too, had been marked by his grip, the frame actually splintered from where he had clutched it.

What kind of strength does it take to do that? But there was something odd about these marks as well and when she looked closer, she finally recognized what she was seeing.

Not fingerprints - claw marks. Claws? She hadn't seen any sign that he possessed claws

Was that another legacy of his Krythian heritage? Was that why he'd told her he might harm her? She pulled down the top of her nightgown to look at her breast again. He hadn't hurt her, let alone broken the skin. However she suspected that his claws had started to emerge and that was why they weren't the smooth oval shape she would have expected. Had he even realized what had happened?

Should I tell him? Given his already extreme concern about her safety, she decided that mentioning his claws would only make him withdraw further - and she didn't want him to withdraw. She wanted him to continue their experiment.

Creating a fabric barrier had seemed to help, especially at first. Perhaps there was some way to take advantage of that. She was still contemplating the possibilities when she finally drifted off to sleep, but she awoke the next morning feeling surprisingly rested.

She generally didn't sleep very well or for very long. As soon as her brain kicked in, sleep generally became impossible. But the warm sunlight pouring through the clerestory windows that ringed her lab had the brightness of full day rather than the pale pre-dawn light she usually awoke to. She rose and stretched happily.

After a brief hesitation, she discarded her nightgown and dressed in her usual pants and sleeveless top. If he were truly attracted to her, then her clothing wouldn't matter. She brushed her hair and tied it back from her face, as she usually did.

She was about to walk into the bathroom when she thought about the previous night. As much as she would like to walk in on a naked Tomlin, she wasn't entirely sure how he would react. Instead, she knocked politely.

"It is unoccupied."

The dry voice from behind her made her jump before she turned around and smiled at him. He looked as calm and composed as he had when he arrived, although there was still a distinct blue shimmer in his eyes.

"Did you enjoy your run?"

"It served its purpose."

"Does that mean you're back in control?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Of course."

He looked as confident as he sounded but she could see a slight tension in his posture that hadn't been there before. Perhaps this was a good time to test his willingness to experiment.

"In that case, how about a good morning kiss?" She took a step closer, giving him a challenging look. "Just an innocent little kiss. Perhaps on the cheek? To strengthen your resistance."

She could see the conflict in his eyes, although the rest of his face remained as expressionless as ever. He closed them briefly and she expected him to refuse, but instead he leaned towards her, offering her his cheek. She'd actually meant that he could kiss her, thinking he would prefer to be in control, but she had no objection to the alternative.

Moving as slowly as if she were approaching a frightened animal, she gently touched her lips to his cheek. He shuddered, but he didn't withdraw his permission. She brushed another kiss against the firm line of his jaw. He seemed to be frozen in position, but he still wasn't objecting. Perhaps she could expand the parameters of the experiment a little further.

This is for science , she told herself, and very gently touched her lips to his mouth. They were warm and firm, and she was suddenly dying to taste him. She very lightly flicked her tongue across his lower lip.

The next thing she knew, she was up against the wall, his mouth devouring hers hungrily, urgently, his big, hard body pinning her in place. His erection was lodged firmly between her legs, resting directly against her clit. She tried to move, seeking more contact between them, and he growled into her mouth, pressing her harder against the wall.

That big hand came up to cover her breast again, and this time he didn't stop there. His fingers closed around her nipple, tugging firmly on the taut flesh. Her ability to think disappeared in a rush of arousal.

This. This was why people were so beguiled by sex. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she sought more of the delicious sensations cascading over her body. Another growl, and then his other hand closed over her ass, pulling her even tighter against his erection.

Yes. She moaned encouragingly, urging him on.

The harsh sound of cloth tearing filled the hallway. She didn't realize he'd ripped her shirt open until his bare hand closed over her breast for a brief, wonderful second - and then she was back on her feet. He was pressed against the opposite wall, his eyes blazing blue and his hands flexing. Clawed hands.

While she was gratified that her theory had proven correct, it was undeniably disconcerting to see those sharp white points emerging from his fingertips.

"I told you I was dangerous," he said hoarsely.

"What are you talking about?" She started to take a step closer and he visibly flinched. "It's all right," she said soothingly. "You've done nothing wrong."

"I did not ask your permission."

"I asked to kiss you, and in case you missed it, I was responding very enthusiastically. I made my choice by kissing you back."

He shook his head in denial, although she wasn't sure if it was in response to her words or his. Then his nostrils flared, and he was back in front of her before she could blink.

"You're bleeding."

"No, I'm not."

"I smell blood," he insisted, bending closer to examine her breast.

She shivered as his hot breath whispered across her exposed skin.

"There."

She followed his gaze and saw the faintest scratch on the curve of her breast.

"It's just a scratch. I don't even think it's bleeding."

"I hurt you."

His tone was full of self-loathing, and she started to reach for him, but he jerked away from her hand.

"You didn't hurt me. I wouldn't even have known you'd scratched me if you hadn't pointed it out."

He was still staring at her breast, a complicated mixture of regret and desire on his face. She saw the desire begin to win out, the blue glow in his eyes increasing until they were almost luminescent. As the hunger in his gaze intensified, so did the arousal still humming through her body.

"Perhaps you should kiss it and make it better," she suggested breathlessly.

He growled again, then licked the faint red line. Oh my . She hadn't expected it to feel so good. She put her hand on his head, silently urging him to do it again. The analytical part of her mind noticed that his hair didn't feel exactly like human hair, but the thought disappeared in a haze of pleasure as he licked her again. He worked his way up the small curve of her breast until his mouth closed over her nipple, shockingly hot and wet and exciting.

"More," she demanded, determined to make him understand that she wanted this.

He obeyed, sucking hungrily on her nipple, and then he was gone. This time he didn't retreat to the opposite wall, but headed for the door instead.

"Run," he growled, and then he was gone.

She sighed as the door closed behind him. That hadn't gone the way she wanted. Not only had he run away again, but he'd left her feeling unsatisfied and she didn't think that her self-pleasure routine would be sufficient to quench that lingering ache. Instead, she stripped off the tattered remains of her shirt and went to replace it. Time to return to the one thing that never failed to satisfy her - her work.