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  Morgan slowly opened her eyes to stare down at him, her bottom lip still caught between her teeth. She took in the almost tortured expression on his face. “It affects you that much?"

  Graham gave a helpless nod. “Very much so.” He ran a finger along her hip, his eyes locked on her face. “I used to watch you in the diner while you did your paperwork. When you really are concentrating on something, you have a tendency to bite your lip. Something about that turns me on more than you could ever know. It used to drive me crazy."

  Morgan gave a surprised chuckle that one of her odd habits could actually make the man underneath of her want to get her into bed. “Really?"

  Graham gave her a look that spoke volumes.

  Morgan made a mental note to stop biting her lip. She didn't think he would finish over something so trivial, but she didn't want to risk it. “I didn't think you paid that much attention to me,” she admitted.

  Graham slid his hands up her bare stomach, fingers splaying over her skin. “Oh, I paid plenty of attention. I know you like strawberry waffles,” he revealed as he ran his hands up her arms and along her shoulders. “I know you dislike tomatoes, but love spaghetti sauce.” He grazed his fingers along her throat, stroking with his thumbs. “I know you're a cat person ... which is something we're going to have to work on.” He massaged gently, smiling as she tilted her head so that he could cup her cheek in his palm. “And I know that you love to read silly romance novels."

  Morgan was practically purring at his tender fondling, but she had enough wits about her to ask, “How do you know all that?"

  "I pay close attention to the things I want.” He pulled her flat against his chest, his open shirt tickling along her skin. He kissed her hungrily as she moved her body on top of his. “I always wanted to get you into my bed. From the very moment I met you, I wanted you underneath of me, squirming helplessly."

  He pressed his lips to hers for a few quick kisses while her body rode his. “After we had our first conversation, I decided to take my time because I really liked you and wanted it to be more than a one night stand.” His eyes filled with hunger and his hands tightened possessively on her hips. “I didn't realize until I kissed you how truly important you were."

  Morgan sat back to look at him. The intensity in his eyes made her shiver. His eyes had gone to that gray color once again and she knew it hadn't been an illusion in the diner. There was something almost unearthly about the way his eyes glowed.

  "Had I realized you were my mate,” Graham continued, not aware that his eyes had bled to an unnatural color with his arousal, “I would not have waited so long to seduce you. I would have claimed you the night we met.” To emphasize this, he grabbed her hips and pulled her down onto him, thrusting himself as deeply into her as he could possibly go. He drove deep into her, holding himself there, letting her feel him inside her body.

  Morgan didn't even debate what he was saying. She had no thought beyond what he was doing. Her head fell back in absolute delight and she whispered his name into the silence. She kept her eyes closed, captivated by the sensation of his hands on her skin.

  Graham's hands moved slowly and erotically over her body. Taking his time, he stroked her hips, her thighs, each of her breasts, her clitoris, and her belly.

  Morgan lost all track of time. The only thing that mattered was Graham and the feeling of their bodies rocking together. She gave a soft growl at the way he raised his hips off the floor to help bury his body deeper inside her.

  Graham gripped her hips, pulling her down in time with the thrust of his hips.

  With each thrust, Morgan felt herself getting closer and closer to orgasm. She bit her lip in concentration, her head still thrown back in the throes of passion. She could hear Graham's breath coming out in harsh exhales, interrupted every once in awhile by a sound that could only be described as a growl as it escaped his throat. That sound drove her on, making her cry out. She bit her lip harder, nails clawing at Graham's chest as she moved on top of him. She peeked an eye open to look at him and found his eyes trained on her bottom lip. His expression was one of complete loss of control as if he'd given himself over entirely to their activities.

  Graham gave a cry of completion, his voice a raw howl that was ripped unexpectedly from his throat.

  The feeling of Graham finishing inside of her drove Morgan over the edge. She gave a soft gasp of ecstasy as pleasure raced through every inch of her body. She stayed where she was, his body as deep inside of her as it could go, until every tremble left her. She then collapsed tiredly to his chest, her breathing ragged.

  She'd barely reached him before Graham flipped her over to lie on her back. Her eyes widened in surprise as he slid partially out of her then very slowly flexed his hips to slide back inside of her. “What are you doing?” she gasped.

  "That was just foreplay,” he whispered, his brows drawn in concentration. “I said I wanted to claim you and I've yet to do that.” He was propped above her, holding himself up so that the spot where he disappeared inside of her was the only part of his body that was touching hers. He moved with such precise slowness, drawing the maximum sensations out of her already sensitive body.

  Morgan stared down the length of his finely toned body to the spot where he drew himself in and out of her at a slow tempo. It was the most erotic sight she'd ever seen. Her eyes lifted to Graham's and she found a smile on his face at catching her watching his movements.

  "It's breathtaking, isn't it?” he asked proudly. With one rough thrust, he shoved his body fully into her. “It's exciting, being claimed like this, isn't it?” He lowered his body to her, cocooning her in his embrace. “I'm staking my claim on you.” He kissed her forcefully. “You're mine now."

  Morgan returned his kiss with just as much passion. Normally, it would bother her that a guy was talking as if he owned her, but something about Graham felt right, as if what he spoke was the truth. She could feel it in her soul with every thrust; he was claiming her as his own. Every moment that passed, felt as if it was irrevocably linking them. “I want to be yours,” she admitted.

  "You are."

  There was a possessive growl to his voice that made Morgan lift her eyes to his face. There was something different about him. The changes were tiny, but when added together they made a startling difference.

  His whole demeanor had changed. The naive innocence was nowhere to be found. It was replaced with a forceful, demanding personality. He was now a man who was going to take what he wanted. He was done with the shy smiles and beat around the bush hints. The playful, happy attitude was dropped, replaced with a domineering bossiness.

  The thing that startled Morgan the most were his eyes. They didn't sparkle with good humor like usual. They were now filled with a look of domination. He looked like a predator and she, his prey.

  Seeing the almost frightened look in her eyes, Graham gave a growl of delight and captured her mouth with his. Her small squeak of surprise seemed to egg him on. As if consumed by need, he began thrusting roughly into her. He grabbed her legs and pulled them around his hips, his mouth moving greedily against hers.

  His demands awoke something primal deep inside of her. Responding to his kiss, Morgan slid her arms around his neck, fists gripping handfuls of his hair while he pounded into her. She gave a soft whimper at every harsh thrust, each one feeling better than the last.

  Graham's head lowered to her shoulder and he pressed a small kiss to her collarbone. He then moved upward, his tongue flicking out to tease her skin. When he reached just below her jaw line, his mouth lingered there and a low, eager moan escaped him. At the sound of his own moan, he halted the movements of his mouth as if frozen against her skin.

  Morgan caught an expression of confusion as it flitted across his face and she gave him a questioning look in response.

  Graham quickly dipped his head as if to hide his face and the expression on it.

  Morgan stared in bewilderment at the top of his head, wondering what he was suddenl
y being shy over. After everything they'd done, surely there was nothing left to be unsure about.

  Graham lifted his eyes to Morgan's as if searching for something, some sign as to what he should do. Apparently finding what he wanted in her expression, he placed another kiss at her collarbone. He seemed to hesitate for just a moment, but then opened his mouth and lowered his head to bite into her flesh.

  Morgan felt a sharp sting and the realization of what he was doing hit her. The sensation of his teeth threw her mind into confusion.

  His teeth were long, much longer than a human's were meant to be, and they were sharp. The thought vampire flitted through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. If vampires existed, and that's not saying she thought they did, their teeth would be sharp, but not this long. Graham's teeth were animal teeth, like a big cat ... a lion or something.

  The thought that she was bleeding lingered in the recesses of her mind, but she couldn't dredge up the energy to care. The pleasure Graham was bringing her greatly outweighed the pain. Being rougher than she normally would, Morgan raked her nails down his back.

  Graham arched in response, giving a hiss of delight.

  Morgan's nails continued downward until she reached his backside. She gripped it firmly in her hands, her fingers digging into the soft flesh. Tilting her head to the side, she offered her throat to him while she pulled him as deeply into her as he would go.

  Graham took the offering, licking a path up her neck while he drove himself into her. He continued upward to her mouth, sucking and nipping at her skin as he went.

  When his mouth finally met hers, Morgan gently bit his lower lip.

  Graham's hips began to pump faster and harder until they both cried out in pleasure as orgasm overcame them.

  Panting and sweating, Graham collapsed to the rug, his body half on top of hers.

  Every muscle in Morgan's body trembled in fatigue as she lay underneath him. She felt so tired, so sluggish.

  Graham ran a hand over her hair, caressing her as gently as he'd been rough earlier. He planted a kiss into her hair, his lips lingering against her. “I've claimed you.” His fingertips trailed down her throat to touch the spot he'd bitten. “I marked you.” He chuckled in amazement. “I marked you so no others of my kind will think about trying to court you."

  Morgan was too exhausted to comprehend anything he was saying. “That's good,” she mumbled tiredly.

  Graham's fingers continued to trail over her skin as if in astonishment. “Yeah,” he replied softly.

  The feeling of his fingertips tickling along her skin was like a sleeping pill. Morgan felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. There were so many questions she knew she should be asking. Things had happened this evening that she couldn't even begin to explain, but as Graham pulled her in against his chest and wrapped her in his arms, Morgan didn't feel a pressing need to have those answers now. There was an unspoken connection between them that left her certain that no matter what his issues were, Graham would treat her like a queen. She felt so good and warm curled up in Graham's arms that she was content to wait for the answers to all of her questions. Besides, she didn't know if she'd even be able to keep her eyes open if she tried. Feeling completely at peace, she let herself drift off to sleep.

  At some point in the night, she woke to find herself tucked into bed. Her jean skirt had been removed and she was naked, cradled in against Graham's chest.

  He mumbled groggily in his sleep and his hand slid along her bare belly.

  Morgan felt her stomach tighten in delight as he nuzzled his nose into her hair and gave a content sigh. This was worlds away from what she'd been planning. She never expected to wind up like this. Graham had thrown a wrench into her plans, but she didn't mind. She'd rather be here right now in his arms than breaking the story of a lifetime. There was no way she was going to break his confidence. The things he'd told her would stay a secret. With that happy thought in mind, she drifted back into sleep.

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  Chapter 4

  Morgan stood in the parking lot of the police station trying to calm her frantically beating heart. She was supposed to be meeting Graham here for his lunch break and there wasn't a thing in the world she was more nervous about.

  The morning after they'd slept together, Graham told her he had a family issue to deal with over the weekend. He'd asked her to meet him for lunch during his break on Monday, then he left with a breathtaking kiss that had her pining for the next time she would see him. Graham's lunch plans had sounded wonderful until she'd gone and messed everything up.

  At work this morning, she'd received a few sly threats pertaining to the security of her job. After a couple minutes of peer pressure from Alston, she'd cracked. She'd done the story, giving away Graham's secret about the FBI specialist. Once the report was done, it was too late to take it back no matter how horrible she felt.

  Alston had assured her that Graham would forgive her. He'd said that if her literal pumping of information had been that amazing, Graham wouldn't stay mad for long. Basically, if Graham truly liked her, this little slip up shouldn't matter.

  Morgan wished she had his confidence. She wasn't so sure Graham would easily forgive the horrible thing she'd done. She'd betrayed his trust. She'd given away information that could help the murderer slip through the police's grasp. Basically, she'd taken something that could turn into a beautiful relationship and flushed it down the toilet for fifteen minutes of fame. She felt like the crummiest person on the face of the earth.

  Morgan was so caught up in her own concerns that she jumped with a gasp when the back door to the station flew open and banged against the side of the building.

  Graham stood in the doorway, his shoulders bunched in aggression. “How was I to know she'd spill to the press?” he snarled to someone just out of view.

  The angered voice of the police chief came from the darkened hallway inside the building. “She is the press! You've jeopardized this entire investigation! I hope the sex was worth it, because you have totally screwed any secrecy we had about our operations. You're lucky I only pulled you off this assignment. I should fire you!"

  Morgan cringed at the heated words heaved in Graham's face. This was her fault. Graham had been kicked off of an assignment because of her big mouth.

  "Stop thinking with your dick and start thinking with your head!” the chief yelled.

  Without a response, Graham stormed from the building, slamming the door behind him.

  Morgan flinched, shrinking back against her car. When Graham started toward her in an angry stalk, she rushed out an apology. “Graham, I'm so sorry. I never meant to—"

  "Get in the car,” he growled, his hand gripping her elbow roughly.

  With a yelp, Morgan freed her arm and climbed into her car. She held her breath anxiously, waiting to see if he was going to join her or if he was simply going to send her away. She let her breath out slowly in relief when he climbed into the passenger seat. If he got in the car, that meant he was at least going to hear her out.

  "Drive,” he instructed, his eyes dark and angry.

  Morgan turned over the engine and shot him a weary look. The air was thick with an uncomfortable silence that she was too afraid to break.

  It wasn't until they pulled into traffic that Graham spoke again. “So ... where would you like to go for lunch?” he asked lightly.

  Morgan blinked a few times in astonishment. Surely, he hadn't just asked about lunch as if nothing was wrong. As she stopped at a red light, Morgan turned in her seat to look at him, fearing for his sanity.

  He was slouched casually in his seat, his right knee lifted to rest against the glove compartment. He was practically curled up in a ball, looking as comfortable as could be. “Or we could just skip lunch and have sex in the backseat,” he offered with a wicked grin.

  Morgan stared at him in disbelief. “Um ... why aren't you screaming? Shouldn't you be telling me you never want to see me again?"

 
Graham let out a delighted chuckle. “It would take more than a news report to make me say that. We're irrevocably linked. We mated. It would take something pretty traumatic to put a damper on that."

  Morgan's face was full of puzzlement. “Oh ... um...” She tried to organize her thoughts, but her mind was going a mile a minute. The way Graham spoke made what they did seem so much more intimate than just sex. She'd hoped that their time together had meant something to him, but she'd never expected it to be enough to diffuse his anger. She felt as if she deserved his fury, at least a little bit. What she'd done was nearly unforgivable in her eyes. “But your boss yelled at you. He threatened to fire you. Surely you blame me for that,” she said meekly.

  Graham waved this off. “He wasn't really mad."

  "Wasn't really mad?” Morgan asked in disbelief. “He was screaming at you. He pulled you off your assignment."

  Oddly, Graham's face split into a grin. “You wanna know a secret?” Looking pleased with himself, he said, “The argument was a set up.” He paused dramatically, letting that sink in. “A lot of times serial killers keep tabs on the officers in charge of their cases. We publicly had me booted off the investigation in hopes that the killer is somewhere nearby keeping tabs on us. This will throw him off my trail and give me some space to operate freely. We don't want him to know I'm leading the investigation, so we're doing everything we can to make me look negligent."

  Morgan blinked in surprise at Graham's confession. She found this news relieving, but it left her with a few questions. “So ... the fight was a set up all along...” Her eyes narrowed slightly and she shot Graham a suspicious glance. “Why did he yell at you about us having sex? You didn't go and give him all the lurid details, did you?” Her face flushed in embarrassment. She would never be able to face down the chief of police next time she had to interview him if he'd been told about the out of character sex romp she had with Graham.

  Graham gave a little laugh. “You can relax. I didn't tell him. He was just throwing out the usual insults that would explain why I would be duped into leaking information to the press. He has no clue that you're my new girlfriend,” he said teasingly.