The woman smiled. “Of course. I’m very pleased to meet you, Mistress. I hope you’ll be very happy here.”

  “Thank you,” Cortney mumbled, her cheeks turning bright pink. “I thought you said they would call me by name,” she said as she watched Jasmine go.

  “They will. Right now, it’s too new. Until they’re more familiar with you, they’ll address you according to your station, but that should settle after a while.”

  A high-pitched scream came from where Trista had been. In a flurry of movement, the woman was rushing through the crowd toward them. “Holy shit, Cort. You live in a fucking castle now,” she said when she got close enough.

  “I do?” Cortney grabbed her friend’s hand and pulled her right next to her.

  “Didn’t you see it?”

  She shook her head. “No, not really, we came in through the back. The trees blocked most of the view.”

  Trista made a move to pull Cortney away from him. He had to stop them. Their mating wasn’t complete. Having her so close to so many unmated males without him by her side would infuriate the phoenix. “Hey, Trista, have you met Ryland?”

  Trista looked at him for the first time since she’d come up on his doorstep. “No, I don’t think I have.”

  Ry came up next to him, his body a lot less tense than it had been moments before. Trista looked over at him, and her mouth dropped open.

  “Ry, this is Trista.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Ry answered as he took her hand and brought her knuckle to his lips.

  “Well, hello, handsome,” the woman replied with a huge smile.

  “Trista was kind enough to agree to spend a month with us to ease Cortney’s transition. I’d consider it a personal favor if you could ensure that her month here is as comfortable as can be. She’ll be staying in one of the guest homes. I was thinking the one next to your house. It has the second-best view of the lake.”

  Ry nodded and the rest of the tension drained out of him. “I’ll be happy to help you get settled once things die down here,” he offered before finally letting go of her hand.

  Trista smiled and gave Cortney a wink.

  “Great. Now let’s get this party started. The sooner all the introductions are made, the sooner everyone can go home.” He placed Cortney’s hand in the crook of his arm before leading her down into the waiting crowd.

  Chapter Eight

  Everyone had welcomed Cortney with open arms. She’d expected at least some of the women to be bitchy or resent her for being with the head of the Odyssey, but she didn’t get a bad vibe from anyone. Had it not been for the constant sexual need inundating her entire being, she would have enjoyed the gathering and subsequent barbecue by the lake.

  Trista hadn’t left her side, and Ry had stayed glued to Trista, which had left her friend all smiles and giggles. Between the heated stares the two of them shared, and the sexy vibes Draven was casting her way, she could hardly breathe.

  When Trista had grinned and announced she was tired and wanted to get settled, and Ry had jumped up to accompany her, Cortney was almost glad. Within moments, Draven had informed the people still hanging around that they were heading home. He took her hand as he led her away from the crowd.

  It wasn’t until they rounded the corner that Cortney caught her first good look at the huge home that was Draven’s. The castle was a lot bigger than she’d originally thought. There was a whole section she hadn’t seen when they’d first arrived that curved away from the lake front. Two tall towers rose above the treeline.

  Draven followed her gaze. “The castle was built by my ancestors. Back then, for safety purposes, the whole Odyssey lived under one roof. Over the centuries, as our species became accepted and the hunting of phoenixes was outlawed, the heads of families chose to build homes of their own. Most stayed close, but some left and started their own Odysseys in the neighboring communities. Now it’s just like any other town, except my house is huge—and very empty.”

  “Does that bother you? Being alone, I mean?” she asked. The tingling heat started in her palm where he held her hand, and climbed her arm, tickling at her neck.

  He grinned at her, and her heart melted a little. He couldn’t possibly be lonely with all those people around him all the time. It was obvious that his people cared for, and respected him. Even the half dozen or so children she’d seen had come running to him for hugs and to share stories with him when they’d first arrived.

  He gave her a long look. “I’m not going to lie to you, Cortney. People surround me, some are blood-related, the others are family by choice. I care for each and every one of them, but that doesn’t mean I’m not lonely. I’ve waited a long time to find my mate—to find you. Lifetimes, in fact. And I won’t give you up without a fight.”

  She opened her mouth to deny him, but she couldn’t. The fact was, she liked Draven. The sexual pull was intense, and a little overwhelming, but it was more than that. He had an easy smile that reached his eyes when surrounded by his people. And she couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d been considerate of her from the moment he’d realized she was his mate. Even when the craze had hit them both hard, he’d taken care of her needs, and ignored his own. If his body ached just a fraction of what hers did, he had to be more than a little uncomfortable. At least she’d had an orgasm to ease the tension a little.

  When they entered his home, he led her up the stairs, then hesitated at his bedroom door. “I’m to stay in the same room with you, aren’t I? Sharing the same bed?” she asked. If her memory served her right, that’s what the PMAC stipulated. Her nipples tightened at the thought of being pressed up against him, skin to skin.

  “According to the PMAC, yes. We’re supposed to be getting to know one another on every level. That includes the bedroom. If you don’t want to stay in my room, I’ll make you a deal,” he told her with a devilish grin that had her heart pounding and her palms going damp.

  “What kind of deal?”

  “Since we’re supposed to be getting to know one another, both in and out of the bedroom, I’ll leave it up to you when you start sleeping in my room. For now, you can have the guest room right next to mine.”

  “Okay. What’s the catch?”

  He opened his bedroom door and stepped aside. “Since you won’t be sleeping in here with me, then I get to give you an orgasm each day. I get to choose when, where, and how. No holds barred. I can touch, taste, and do whatever I want, as long as it leads to your climax.”

  “I don’t think that’s a compromise at all,” she said as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other to ease the throb between her legs.

  “How long do you think we could keep our hands off each other if we’re lying in bed together for an entire night? And the next morning? I think one orgasm a day is a reasonable request. Plus, it’ll take the edge off the craze,” he offered as if his proposal made all the sense in the world.

  She had to admit, it did. She’d been aching for Draven for hours, and there was no end in sight. There was no way she was going a whole month like this. “Okay, I agree. We’ll start now.”

  Chapter Nine

  Draven opened his mouth, ready to argue his point. Of course, he had every right to have Cortney in his bed for the entire thirty days, and if he wanted to, he could push the issue, and there would be a hell of a lot more orgasms than once a day, but he wasn’t an idiot. The last thing he wanted was for her to resent him.

  He blinked as her words finally registered. He’d expected her to argue the fact that he’d already made her climax today, but she’d said now. His mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. She’d agreed to another. “Now is perf—”

  She stopped him with a long, hard kiss that left him—and his phoenix—reeling. When she pulled away, her eyes were bright, her lips puffy, and she was the most deliciously stunning woman he’d ever seen.

  “You didn’t think you and those sexy flames of yours would be off the hook after teasing me all day, did you?” Her gaze dipped to his lips, so when she brought her hands up and pulled him in for another kiss, he was ready.

  With a single swipe of his tongue, she opened up for him, deepening their kiss. Fingernails digging into his shoulders, she clung to him, demanding more. Too soon, she was pulling away again.

  “So, I guess the when has been decided,” she said between panted breaths. “Now you just have to figure out the where and how.” She shifted from side to side, teasing his cock with the sweet friction of her body. Even clothed as they both were, the heat between them made his cock twitch.

  Unable to think past the need pounding through him, he cupped her ass and lifted her so that his cock was lined up with her pussy. “Right here. However you want it.”

  Cortney moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding herself on him. She reached behind and tugged his shirt up his back, scraping her fingernails along his spine as she did.

  He took her deeper into his room, not stopping until his thighs hit the edge of the bed, then lowered her onto her back. “Don’t move,” he ordered. If she touched him, he’d blow like a fucking rocket. The need pulsing through him was too deep, too tense. One stroke of that dainty little hand of hers over his cock and he would be done. He had to get out of his clothes. The constriction was long past uncomfortable.

  Cortney lay there, watching him. When he pulled his shirt off, she didn’t avert her gaze. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and she gripped the bedspread on either side of her, clenching her fists. “Can I move now? I want to touch you.”

  He shook his head and lowered his hands to the snap of his jeans. “Not yet.”

  Her eyes widened with the soft rasp of his zipper. She took a deep breath and held it, not letting it go until he yanked his jeans down, taking his boxers along with them.

  His cock throbbed at the sound of her soft moan. Nudging his way between her knees, he helped Cortney sit, before pulling her shirt up and over her head. She wiggled against him, lifting her arms, helping him as much as he’d allow, but when she reached for him, he took her wrists and brought her hands back down to her sides.

  “Don’t move,” he ordered again. “If I’m to sleep alone, I want to memorize every moment so I can fantasize about your beautiful body. I’ll imagine your gorgeous breasts as I stroke myself.” He pulled the cups of her bra down, releasing the objects of his fascination before licking first one, then the other tight bud. “I’ll remember the taste, and feel of your nipples on my tongue.” He leaned in again and sucked one between his lips, moaning when she lifted her hands to his head, pulling him closer.

  “You won’t have to stroke yourself. We can both have orgasms,” Cortney offered as she fisted her hands in Draven’s hair.

  He grinned against her soft skin, then released her with a pop. “It won’t be enough. One orgasm will never be enough. Not for me, and not for you,” he warned. And it wouldn’t. The craze would only get worse. The only way to calm the phoenix, and ease the craze was to mate. That meant filling her with his seed and allowing the phoenix full rein on her body. None of that would happen until she allowed it. If she thought today was bad, she had no idea what she—what they both—were in for in the days to come.

  He trailed his fingers down her body, caressing her soft skin, relishing in the goosebumps that rose in the wake of his touch. Her jeans came off next, and he tossed them aside, not caring where they landed, leaving her in nothing but a skimpy pair of pink lace panties. They covered nothing. So fucking sexy. He leaned forward, stopping just short of touching the soft material with his nose.

  “I can’t wait to slip my tongue between those wet lips of yours to see if you taste as good as you smell,” he told her.

  Cortney’s breath hitched, and her cheeks flushed, but a fresh wave of arousal perfumed the air.

  “Do you want me to taste you, Cortney? Do you want my tongue on that pretty little pussy of yours? Is that how you want your orgasm tonight?”

  She made a soft whimpering sound and arched her back.

  “I want to hear you say it. Tell me what you want.”

  “Yes,” she said. “I want you to lick me.”

  The moment the words left her mouth, he closed the distance separating him from his prize. He gave her one long, slow lick, tasting her through the lacy material still covering her. Nothing had ever tasted so good. He wanted to bury his face between her legs and feast on her until she screamed his name, but then it would be over, and he wanted it to last. Pulling away, he thumbed across her clit in soft, gentle strokes until she writhed on the mattress. She clung to the bedspread, digging her fingers into the material to keep from moving.

  “You make the sexiest sounds when you come,” he said. “Are you ready? Do you want me to make you come?” He blew his breath, heated by the phoenix’s energy, over her swollen clit before flicking it with his tongue.

  “Yes, fuck, yes. Please,” Cortney begged as she thrust her hips up, seeking more contact.

  As much as he wanted to draw it out, he couldn’t. He took the flimsy material keeping her from him in his hand, and gave it a sharp tug. She gasped at the sound of tearing lace, then moaned as his lips found her naked flesh.

  Nothing could have prepared him for the force with which his phoenix surged forward, pushing for release. His cock throbbed and heat rushed over every inch of his body. Tiny yellow flames erupted all over his skin, seeking entrance—seeking her. He speared his tongue as deep into her pussy as it would go, using his thumb to stroke Cortney’s clit as he feasted. Her sighs and moans grew louder. She gripped his hair, tugging hard as her thighs shivered and shook on either side of his face.

  The need to mate rose fast, and hard. It took everything in Draven not to take her—claim her. Flames licked up her arms where she gripped his head and swept over her pussy as he devoured her, to congregate on her clit. She moaned and jerked beneath him as the first wave of her orgasm tore through her.

  Draven didn’t let up, licking, fucking her with his tongue, tasting her, taking her in as she ground her pussy into his mouth over and over. Each sigh that slipped out of her mouth made his cock jerk and throb. Fuck. He’d never wanted anyone so bad in his entire life. Soon, he’d have her. But not yet. If his cock got anywhere near her drenched pussy, he wouldn’t stop until he’d filled her with his seed. He’d let the phoenix take her at the same time, and she’d be theirs. But she’d hate them. And that, he couldn’t allow.

  Chapter Ten

  Cortney couldn’t catch her breath. If she thought the orgasm he’d given her earlier in the day was amazing, it was nothing compared to what just happened. Draven still lay with his face between her thighs, but he’d stopped eating her out. He took long, deep breaths, his whole body tense.

  When she finally released the death grip she had on his hair, he met her gaze. His eyes glowed that bright amber she’d already associated with his phoenix. He clenched his jaw, and he looked as though he wanted to pounce. And that was fine with her. After the orgasm he’d given her, it was only right that he have one as well.

  She didn’t know much about his species, but one thing she knew was that they didn’t carry human diseases. Their phoenix side eradicated them as soon as anything entered their systems. As for her, she’d passed her physical with flying colors, and she was on birth control, so there was no reason not to enjoy each other.

  “I think it’s time I get to do some exploring, don’t you?” she said as she lifted herself onto her elbows.

  A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he said nothing.

  “Hey, if I did something wrong, I’m sorry. I…”

  He pushed himself up from the bed and took a couple of steps back. “You didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, you were perfect,” he said, his voice rough and gravelly.

  He stood there looking at her. His cock, long, and hard, pointed at her, teasing her. She wanted to touch him. Taste him. Give him the kind of pleasure he’d given her. “So why are you all the way over there?”

  “I can’t do this right now,” he said as he ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated.

  “Why?” If he didn’t want her, she’d understand, but his body didn’t lie.

  He took a deep breath, then turned to pick her jeans, and then her T-shirt up off the floor before handing them both to her.

  “What’s going on?” she asked as she slipped her shirt over her head and shimmied her butt so that she could stand to drag her jeans over her hips.

  “The phoenix is strong, but I’m in control. Always,” he told her. “That doesn’t seem to be the case where you’re concerned. It’s fighting me hard right now. It wants you, Cortney. If I bury my cock deep inside you like I want to, I won’t be able to stop it. It will claim you. You’ll be mine and the thirty days won’t matter anymore.”

  Cortney’s heart raced. What the hell? His words were like a cold shower, dousing the lust racing through her veins.

  Just like that, he could take her freedom away, and she’d have had no choice in the matter? That was fucked up. She took a step away from him, then another until she reached the bedroom door. She had to get out of there. Shoving the guilt at leaving him unsatisfied aside, she reached for her bag and ducked out the door.

  ***

  Fuck! His whole body ached, and it wasn’t just the fact that he was still hard as fucking steel either. Draven paced the length of his bedroom like a caged animal. He clenched and released his fists, trying to dispel the energy the phoenix was emitting. He’d done the right thing sending Cortney away. Claiming her when she wasn’t ready for it would have been disastrous. He wasn’t an idiot. Forcing a lifetime commitment wasn’t the answer, but damned if he didn’t want to march into her room and do it anyway.

  He’d been a fool to suggest he would pleasure her each day and take nothing for himself. Of course, when he’d made the offer, he hadn’t anticipated the phoenix’s reaction or the overwhelming need to claim her. It was more than a simple want. The primal urge pounded through him with each breath he took.