Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair (reading a book txt) 📕

But just look at him. Dark all over, his skin color more like her olive than Alec‘s golden tan.

His black hair brushed his shoulders as if sampling the feel of the hard muscles. The backs of his thighs had a scattering of short black hair. Between his legs, his testicles hung, large and heavy.

Very male. His frame was less bulky than Alec‘s, but his hard muscles were more defined, and her need to run her hand over his chest had grown to almost a compulsion.

But…he wasn‘t erect. Here she was, naked in the water, and technically a shifter now, and she didn‘t excite him. Hell, he wasn‘t even checking her out.

Deflated, she let her body sink below the water‘s surface and exhaled in a snort of bubbles.

She was being an idiot. She‘d bedded his brother and would like to again. Messing around with Calum would be wrong. She and Alec weren‘t a pair or anything, but she mustn‘t cause friction between the brothers. No. She popped back up and sucked in a breath of chill air.

Calum wasn‘t standing by the wall anymore. Regret washed through her, followed by relief.

Yes, she‘d better lock it down and keep her horny little body to herself.

"May I offer you some soap?"

She jumped, spun around. Holy fuck, he was not a foot from her.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he repeated, "Soap?"

"Um." His chest was a matt of dark curling hair with water trickling down between the sculpted pectorals. After a moment, she yanked her gaze to his face. "Soap?"

"The substance used for cleansing?" he prompted as his smile creased one cheek. "Let me show you." He rubbed his hands together, forming froth that smelled like strawberries.

Without waiting for her agreement, he ran his palms down her neck, her shoulders, her arms.

His touch was firm and cool against her overheated skin. Stunned at the way his touch felt on her body, she stood still. Picking up her limp hand, he washed her fingers with the foam, then massaged the plump part of her palm just below her thumb.

"Did you know this is called the Venus mound for the goddess of love?" He nipped the spot and sent a wave of lust up her arm and straight down to her groin.

"Calum …"

He stroked the soap over her biceps, massaging her muscles as if he was a well-schooled bath attendant. "Turn, little female," he murmured, guiding her until she faced away from him.

She should protest, but he wasn‘t trying to grope her breasts, he was...

Hard fingers dug into her aching shoulders. "Oooh, God."

"Your backpack was too heavy." He‘d argued with her before they left the cabin, wanting to carry their gear himself. Like that would happen.

"Mmmmh." He could scold all he wanted if he just kept his hands pressing away the soreness.

"Stubborn." With a soft laugh, he squeezed her trapezius muscles to the point of pain, then released his grip. As the blood flowed back into the relaxed tissues, she couldn‘t suppress a moan. His fingers traced the scars from Lachlan‘s bite, and he kissed the spot before continuing.

She couldn‘t move. It was like he‘d cast a net over her with his sure touch, rendering her helpless. When her legs wobbled, he wrapped a hard arm around her waist, his hand resting just below one breast.

"We‘re not finished, Victoria." He nipped the nape of her neck, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her pussy.

And yet, the surge of heat wakened her from the spell. Her mind—and conscience—flicked on. He intended to have sex. She pulled away and turned. "Calum, no. This isn‘t right. Alec—"

"Victoria, Alec knows we will make love." He moved close enough that the stiff peaks of her breasts rubbed his chest, then cupped her chin in his steady hand. "Look at me, cariad."

Her gaze lifted as if compelled. Don"t let him talk you into this, sergeant. "What does cariad mean?"

"It means darling." His thumb stroked her lower lip. "Alec and I often…share…our women.

Alone or together."

Two men? Oh God. A wicked lick of heat swept through her body. She pressed her hands against his chest and hesitated, disconcerted by his rock-hard muscles. "No. I don‘t believe you. I won‘t risk hurting him." Her body throbbed with the need for sex, but hurting Alec wasn‘t something she‘d do.

"It pleases me that you worry about my brother‘s happiness." His determined hands closed over hers and lifted them to his face. His beard shadow scratched her palms, sending an odd excitement through her. He smiled slightly and dragged his jaw slowly across her palms. When his gaze lowered to her breasts, as if imagining how his beard would feel against the tender skin, her body melted.

"No," she whispered and tried to step back.

His grip never loosened. "Victoria, I give you my word that Alec approves of you being with me." His steady gaze met hers.

Somehow she knew down to her bones that he wouldn‘t lie to her. "That‘s just…"

"It‘s a shifter thing, and we‘ll talk about it later."

She opened her mouth, and his eyes darkened. "Later, little female. I have things I wish to do to you now."

The hard, slightly rough statement eradicated her resolve. Her knees almost gave out.

"But…"

"Shhh." He nipped her fingers, the tiny pains erotic, and then put his big hands around her waist and set her onto the hip-high rock ledge at the side. The surface of the water rippled over it and the flat stone was warm under her bottom.

He pushed her legs open and pulled her forward until his very hard erection pressed against her heat. She gasped, feeling her control slipping.

"That‘s right, cariad. You needn‘t think." He grasped her nape, guiding her lips to his, holding her as his tongue plunged inside to echo the rocking of his cock at her entrance.

His free hand covered her breast, cupping and stroking in such a way that when he finally reached the nipple, she was taut in anticipation. With