EXCERPT:

“Ow! Shit!”

The strength she’d shown earlier was nothing in comparison to the strength she now used to toss him off her. Scrambling from the bed, she stumbled backwards until she struck the dresser. She sank to the floor and leaned her throbbing shoulder against the solid oak. “Ow! Damn it all to hell and back. You bit me!”

Devlin rose up on one elbow, blinked at her as if trying to focus, and swung off the bed. “Tala, let me explain.” His amber eyes slowly gained more brown.

Tala gripped her shoulder, blood oozing onto her hand. “Are you nuts? What do you think you are? Some kind of animal? You bit me!” She grabbed an old T-shirt from the dresser and stuck it on top of the wound.

“You said that twice already.”

She scowled at him, his remark stoking the volcano threatening to erupt from within her. If he thinks I’m angry now…

He winced. “I know. I’m sorry. I should’ve prepared—”

“Get away from me.” She attempted to calm the mix of pain, shock and—God help her—lust trying to overwhelm her brain, but couldn’t. “Why the hell did you bite me?” Does it really matter? She gave the question a moment’s thought. Yeah, the why does matter.

“I didn’t mean to. I just got carried away in the moment.” Pushing his hair away from his remorseful face, he beseeched her. “Tala, please, listen to me.”

He inched nearer until she stuck out a hand to stop him. “Please listen? What next? ‘Please let me go for the jugular this time?’ Would you like me to lie still while you finish the job?” Keeping her eyes glued on him, she grasped the furniture and hauled herself to her feet. I can’t believe it. This guy bit me! Gritting at the pain, she snatched up her robe in the process, and headed for the bathroom.

Devlin started to follow her but she would have none of it. “Oh, no you don’t. You stay where you are. Or get the hell out. But don’t you dare follow me.” She thrust her finger at him in a threatening jab and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Tala fell against the door and tried to catch both her breath and her sanity. What the hell just happened? One minute I’m getting laid and laid good. Okay, laid great. And in the next, I’ve got teeth in me. Had their rough play gotten out of hand? She crossed over to the sink to stare into the small oval mirror above the basin and frowned at her white complexion. Sure, I’ve had rough sex before and even a little biting, but this is wild. Too wild. With two fingers, she gently removed the robe and blood-reddened shirt to examine the injured area. Two major holes flanked a row of smaller indentations with similar marks in another semi-circle below. Looks like an animal bit me.

Reaching for a washcloth, she wet the soft cotton under the faucet and gingerly dabbed at the gashes. The sting shot down her shoulder and into her arm. I will not cry. I will not cry.

“Tala? Are you all right? Do you need my help?”

Is he kidding? “Never mind. I’ll take care of myself.”

Tala continued cleaning the area until the bleeding finally slowed down. She fumbled through her medicine cabinet, located the rubbing alcohol and poured some onto the cloth. Inhaling a long one, she held her breath and placed the alcohol-soaked material on her shoulder. A quick yelp escaped her before she could stop it.

“Tala, please. Let me help you.”

She ignored Devlin’s knock on the door as well as his words. Tears came to her eyes, and she stuffed the bathrobe’s collar into her mouth to stifle her cry. Gripping her robe with all her strength, she waited for the pain to lessen.

“Tala, are you all right? Answer me or I’m going to break down the door.”

Oh no, he didn’t! She’d thought she was angry before. But the fury boiling over in her now put her previous ire to shame. How dare he threaten me! First, he tears up my car, then he bites me like some caveman—or more like a sabertooth tiger—and now he has the nerve to threaten to break down my door?

“Devlin, back off or I’m going to bite your balls off.” Crap, would he think that sounds as sexy as I do? Her mind was on kinky sex when she’d just been bitten. Was she as crazy as he was? She threw the blood-soaked cloth to the floor, grabbed the bandages from the medicine cabinet and plastered on a quick bandage.

“I’m worried about you, babe.”

A red stain spread across the bandage. Enough was enough. She’d put herself in danger with this stranger long enough. Determined, she swung open the door.

She registered Devlin’s surprised expression as she charged at him, relishing the fact that he moved as fast as he could to get away from her. He’d gotten dressed in the meantime, and his shirt flew open in his attempt to get out of her way. But she kept at him, punching her finger into the middle of his solid chest.

“I told you to back off and I meant what I said. And don’t call me babe. I’m no one’s babe. Especially not yours.”

Devlin’s startled look transformed into deep furrows on his brow. “Will you stop acting like I beat you up? I realize I screwed up but, after all, it’s only a bite.” He widened his stance, a fortified front to withstand her furious attack.

“A bite? Only a bite?” Tala laid one hand on her bandage and the other fisted on her hips. “You drew blood. Who the hell draws blood while having sex? When I wanted to play rough in the sack I didn’t have bloodshed in mind.”

The gleam in Devlin’s eyes slowed her down, and uneasiness rippled through her shaking frame. How could he stand there and act like what he’d done was no big deal? Even if he did look sexy as hell. Even if part of her wanted to jump his bones again.

Tala sucked in a big gulp of air and tried to steady herself. Hell, for a second there, she’d wanted to bite him back.

“I didn’t mean to bite you.” At least he had the decency to look contrite. “Okay, maybe I did. A little. Besides, we were making love. Not having sex.”

Man, how I’d love to smack him. Making love? Is that what he thinks? “Love hurts, is that what you think? Are you one of those guys?”

“No. But I wasn’t the only one wanting the rough stuff. You did, too.”

She ground her teeth together and resolved to keep his butt on the line. “Don’t try to change the subject.”

Devlin’s big brown eyes met hers and his eyebrows—such masculine, heart-stopping eyebrows—lifted in an imploring manner. Almost the way the she-wolf had looked at him earlier. As if asking for help. As if asking for understanding from a kindred soul. An aw went down from her brain and straight into her heart. Why was she such a pushover for this guy?

Devlin reached around her and tried to draw her into his arms. For a second, the temptation to snuggle against his broad chest almost broke her determination, but she stepped back, keeping clear of him.

“I don’t think it was an accident.” She peered at him, knowing in her gut something else was at the bottom of what he’d done. “It was more.”

He let his arms fall to his side, not following her as she moved away from him. “Okay. You want the truth? Well, here it is. I wanted to mark you.”

“Mark me?” What the hell did he mean? “Like branding a cow?

Devlin stammered, opened his mouth several times to speak and then closed his mouth, his lips forming a tight line across his face. Had he started to tell her something? Perhaps the real and total truth? She studied his face for some meaning behind his actions and saw him mentally shut down.

“Uh, of course not. I wanted to mark you as in…”

“As in what?” She took a step closer to him, hoping he’d come out and say what he found so difficult to say. “Just tell me.”

“As in giving you a hickey.”

Tala jerked in stunned response. “A hickey? You bit me trying to give me a hickey?”

Devlin tucked his head, averting his face from hers. “Yeah, I know. It was a stupid thing to do. I guess I just lost control when I started to give you a, you know, and got a little too excited.”

She couldn’t help it. She had to laugh. “What are you? Thirteen? Since when do grown men give hickeys?”

He shot her an exasperated expression, one filled with anger, embarrassment and frustration. “Can we get off this subject?”

“No. If you’re going to give me a hickey like some stupid teenager, then I want to know we’re going steady.” Okay, where the hell had that come from? One minute I’m determined to throw him out and then in the next I want him to proclaim his love for me.

“Steady? So, like, does that mean you’ll go to the prom with me?” Devlin’s expression was priceless, taking away some of her steam.

But not enough of it. “It was a joke.” Sort of. “Where the hell were you raised, Devlin? You can barely drive a car, you still give hickeys and you have an uncanny way with wolves. Were you raised by a pack of wolves or something? By nature-loving hippies? What gives?”

His features hardened, vanishing the twinkle in his eye, and he spit his words at her. “Look, I’ve had enough. I messed up and I apologized. Now get over it.”

The volcano boiling within her finally let loose, exploding in a rage. She hissed between her clenched teeth, “Get out, Devlin. Get the hell out of my home.”

His jaw worked and he glowered at her, but he didn’t budge an inch. “You’re making a bigger deal of this than you should. Grow up, Tala.”

“You’re telling me to grow up?” Whirling, she marched to her front door. As she knew he would, Devlin followed on her heels. Thrusting the door wide open, she shouted and pointed into the hallway. “I said, get the hell out of my home!”