Primal Heat 04 - Forever in Darkness

her green eyes met his, and he felt himself sliding
helplessly under her spell. She stiffened, then took a step back and glanced
over her shoulder toward the door.
    She was leaving? Unacceptable.
    Urgency coursed through Ian, and he
broke from the corner, heading right for her.
    Her eyes widened when she realized
he was approaching, and her cheeks flushed. But she didn't back away. She
lifted her chin and waited for him to approach.
    Anticipation roared through him as
he neared her, and an urgent lust rose within him as he closed the distance
between them. The scent of lilac and lavender filled the air, so subtle, so
faint that he wouldn't even have noticed it if he hadn't been searching for it
so relentlessly.
    Lilac and lavender. Hot damn. She
smelled right.
    Her green eyes searched his, and in
them he saw pain and fear, so deeply etched it had become a part of her soul.
But at the same time, they flashed with defiance and courage, a woman who had
not surrendered to the burden she carried. Respect surged through him, igniting
his lust even further.
    But it was more than respect and
lust. It was a raw, burning need to drag her over to him and make her his, in
any and every way that he could.
    She swallowed, and he felt her
rising nervousness. "What do you want?" she asked.
    Sweet Jesus. Her voice was like the
choir of angels. Desire exploded through him, a yearning so powerful he could
barely contain it. He had spent his life fighting the carnal urges that were a
part of being a Calydon male, determined not to let them rule him and put him in
a position where a woman could bring him down. But with those four words, this
woman had unleashed all the raw sexual need he'd held at bay for so long.
    She had to be Catherine. She had to
be his sheva . There was no other explanation for the intensity of his
response…but Catherine had died eight months ago. Her spirit couldn't have been
reincarnated into a twenty-something body that was already alive.
    What the hell was going on?
    He needed answers. He had to know.
He wanted to feel her body against his, to crush her into him and feel their
bodies come together. He needed to dive deep into her soul and see who she
really was, and he needed it now . The pulsing of music from the band
vibrated through him, the deep base thudding in every cell in his body.
"Dance with me," he said hoarsely, his voice raw with lust and need.
"Dance with me."
    Desire flared in her eyes, so
quickly and so powerfully that he nearly went to his knees from the force of
his response to her. But then she shook her head and started backing away from
him. "I can't," she said, her voice throaty and desperate. "I
have to—"
    "Catherine." He held out
his hand, offering her all he had. "Dance with me."
    Her face registered shock, and she
stopped retreating. "Did you just call me Catherine?"
    Ian went still, stunned by the
expression on her face. Son of a bitch. Her name really was Catherine? Raw,
instinctive possession thrummed through him, and he didn't ask her to dance
again. He simply reached for her hand and took it.
    The electricity hummed between them
the moment their skin touched. Catherine sucked in her breath and tried to pull
back.
    Ian tightened his grip. "One
dance."
    She met his gaze, hesitation
evident on her features. He steeled himself for her refusal, knowing he could
not allow her to separate from him. Not yet. Not until he had answers.
    Sudden determination flared in her
eyes, chasing away her fear. Her strength struck him, intensifying his lust.
    She nodded, the smallest
inclination of her head, but it was enough. Anticipation hummed through him as
he led her onto the dance floor, his hand on her back to guide her and to keep
her in front of him where he could protect her. Bodies bumped against them, but
he blocked them with his shoulder, keeping them from hitting Catherine.
    He reached the spot he wanted, in
the furthest, darkest corner of the dance floor, then he turned her toward him.
Wariness flashed in her green eyes, but her cheeks were flushed and he could
scent the desire racing through her. Whatever he was feeling, she was experiencing
it too. The realization that the intense sensuality heating up between them was
completely mutual kicked his lust into high gear.
    Ian didn't give her a chance to
hesitate or change her mind. He simply set his hands on her hips and pulled her
against him, and she let him.
    The moment he felt her hand settle
on his shoulder, Ian knew that was