Gripp

15

“I’m Gripp,” he said, extending a hand for the monk to shake. “This is April. I rescued her from the mine earlier today. Can we ask you for lodgings, Brother Farryn?”

The monk nodded and pointed to a side path.

“Around the back, you will find a small cabin that is well stocked. You are welcome to take refuge there in the guest house.”

“Thank you,” Gripp said, relieved beyond belief. He hadn’t wanted to be sent back into the forest.

“Yes, thank you,” April echoed. The brother bowed and hurried away.

“Seems a strange fellow,” April muttered.

Gripp laughed softly. “He might not have seen a woman for some time.”

“Oh,” April said, understanding.

“Come on,” Gripp laughed. “Let’s check out our quarters.”

APRIL

The tiny shack was just one small room with a decent-sized bed. Instead of fighting over who got to sleep in it, April headed straight outside toward the enticing sound of running water.

She saw Gripp open the cupboards immediately and pull out food. She figured he must be starving after all the fighting, and she wondered if he would go out and hunt in his panther shape.

He can eat me.

April groaned as she approached the stream. The last thing she needed was to catch feelings for the shifter guy who had been sent in to rescue her. They were too different, and a relationship would never work.

He only cares about me because I’m his mission.

April took her clothes off slowly, testing the temperature of the water with one foot. He might be a tough guy, but she had seen a soft side to him while they were rescuing the kids. Maybe he cared about her more than he wanted to admit.

It also doesn’t keep him from being nonstop smoking hot.

She shook her head, grinning as she waded into the waist-deep water. April tried to turn her thoughts away from Gripp, but as she ran her hands over her skin, she couldn’t stop wishing they were his hands instead.

The stream whispered and sang as it rushed across the rocks at the bank, sweet music that relaxed her body and soothed her nerves. April dunked her head, sighing in pleasure as she rinsed out her hair.

The water wasn’t too cold, but she chilled quickly in the night air. April gathered up her clothes and wrapped herself in the rough blanket she’d taken from the cabin. She worried for a few minutes about walking inside almost completely naked, but April could feel the desire rising in her.

She didn’t want to fight it.

As she came through the door, Gripp looked up from the table. He had bread, cheese, and fruit laid out. When he saw she was what she wasn’t wearing, his eyes widened.

“You look good,” he said softly.

April smiled. “You mean clean.”

“Sure,” Gripp muttered. He stood and stepped toward her, breathing deeply as if mesmerized by her scent.

He stopped in front of her, and her eyes locked with his. She was still banged up with a bruised face and wrecked body, but Gripp stared at her like she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

Falling into bed with a guy like this was bound to send her down the road to heartache. The trouble was she couldn’t stop the desire rising inside her. When Gripp closed the distance between them, she gasped in anticipation.

The smallest of smiles flashed across his face. April was lost in the intensity of Gripp’s gaze as if she could feel the well of desire burning in him as he looked at her.

Gripp grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. She giggled as she let go of the blanket, and it swept to the floor.

Just before their lips touched, Gripp paused. His breath was hot across her lips. “Yes?” he asked.

April nodded. “Yes. f**k me.”

Gripp’s hands tightened on her arms, and their lips met. April closed her eyes, moaning as pleasure rushed through her. Her n*****s were alive with searing fire, and a great throbbing ache pounded between her legs. April had never been so turned on in her entire life.

Gripp picked her up, cradling her in his arms. She reveled in the sensation of being literally swept off her feet, turning her lips up for Gripp’s kiss. He carried her to the small bed and knelt to set her gently on top of the covers.

For a moment, their eyes met. A pale shaft of light fell through the single window, making Gripp’s eyes shimmer in the dark. April felt something inside her that was deeper than just physical magnetism. It had to be … it was an urge like nothing she’d ever known.

Gripp ran his hands over her legs with a low growl, parting her thighs. As he pushed her back onto the bed, his hot, slick mouth found her c**t, and April cried out as pleasure streaked through her.

Gripp’s fingers tightened on her thighs as his tongue delved into the deepest folds of her p***y. The sound of his low moans brought her even more pleasure.

When he ran his tongue up the entire length of her p***y to press his lips around her c**t and suck, April grabbed the back of his head and yelled, rocking her hips against the pressure of his lips until she came.

April’s hand was buried in Gripp’s hair as she writhed under him, her breath coming in small, harsh gasps. He sat up slowly, watching her face as he ran his hands gently over her body.

The sight of him in the dim starlight caught April’s attention, and she couldn’t look away. In the shifting shadows, she could see the hard bulges of his body and the curves of his muscles. He bent close to kiss her, and April whimpered. She was a slave to her own desire.