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They walked under the stars and into a copse secluded from the rest of the celebrants. Pines, hemlocks and junipers scented the air with heady fragrances. Daffodils of many varieties dotted the landscape with punches of vivid yellows, ochre and bright whites. A row of forsythia hid the couple from those still dancing and singing around the bonfire.

A crunchy, brown pile of the previous autumn’s leaves lay scattered underneath the pines, creating an inviting palette for the two to rest upon.

Raven hadn’t noticed until then that Bo was carrying a blanket in his muscular arms. He spread it on the ground and sat upon it, patting a spot next to him. She joined him, not knowing what to say next.

Should I just blurt out that I’m a virgin? she wondered. No, that would send him running for the hills.

“I’ve heard the name Strigoi. Your father is a powerful Lamai,” he finally said. “One of the oldest, too.”

“Yes, he is. I don’t get to see him often, though. He travels a lot. And what’s your last name?” she asked, noticing the easy way he acted with her. She liked that he seemed quite comfortable in his own skin.

“Wasake,” he answered.

“Ah, yes, the shape shifter clan. Have you lived on the island long? I-I never noticed you before, either.”

When he smiled, two delightful dimples appeared on either side of his tempting mouth as if poised for a kiss. “No. I’m fairly new to the island. I received an offer to join the police force. Technically I was transferred here.”

“Oh. Where did you live before moving here?” She couldn’t take her eyes off him. He is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

Bo picked at a blade of grass. “Colorado.”

“That makes sense since you attended the University of Colorado. Was it a mutual switch in locations?” Feeling her skin radiating heat at the nearness of him, she was a bundle of nerves. It being the holiday for making love, she had preplanned to lose her status as a virgin that night.

At eighteen, she had waited long enough, and her body agreed. It hungered constantly for either blood or lust. If she didn’t find the right mate she would wait, but that seemed to be a moot point now. He was supremely delectable. She licked her lips in anticipation of his kiss. The feeling seemed to be mutual as Bo obviously struggled to focus on the subject of their conversation. He was a vision, an Aztec god come to life. Her marble-like skin contrasted with his deep copper color and shimmered with an opalescent glow. The sight of him caused her body to react on a most basic level. Desire. She wanted desperately for him to press his lips to hers.

The line of his neck was strong, and his rapid pulse beat erratically. Her dress slid over her shoulder, revealing more skin. His gaze traveled down to her ample bosom. He gently touched the locket nestled between her breasts. She could feel his hunger— to possess her—and her desire grew by the minute. Raven wanted to be possessed by him.

His gaze fell to her tiny waist, then to her hips, all visible through her sheer dress, leading to long, slender thighs. He appeared lost in the thought of her secret garden. Beads of sweat dotted his upper lip. Bo leaned in to kiss her, but pulled away. Taking a deep breath, he nervously sighed.

Raven thought he was bored already with her company. Think of something intriguing to say, she berated herself.

He found his tongue. “Yes, it was a mutual move. Someone here wanted to transfer to Colorado. My grandfather has lived on the island for over twenty years. He asked me to see if I could transfer here.” He inched nearer to her. “I moved to be closer to him.”

Thank the Gods she didn’t have to be witty. “Do you like it here?”

His finger traced the pattern on the blanket as he seemingly tried to make a clever remark.

“Yeah, very much,” was all he said.

He wasn’t making this easy. “I’m glad you like it here.” She smiled. Oh, what a conversationalist.

“Me, too.” He leaned over to her and gently kissed her lips. When he met no resistance, his kisses became more urgent. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt that this man belonged with her—to her. Was it the heat between them, or the energy of May Day?

Raven wasn’t sure. The sounds of other couples making love in the dark certainly added to the seductive ambiance. It was the holiday of fertility.

She focused her energy on him. His thoughts were identical to hers. She psychically knew it. Bo wanted to possess her in a way he’d never experienced before. She smiled inwardly, happy to find she wasn’t alone in her feelings.

Raven balked when she read his memories of past lovers. At twenty-six, he’d bedded many women, but she was different to him. With many of them, he had to control his desires in bed, unless he was with another shape shifter. Even the fae he’d been with feared what his true passions could unleash. Her gift was a blessing and a curse as she was presented with a visual montage of his sexual adventures.

Still, he instinctively knew he had to be gentle with Raven. Uh oh, he knows I’m a virgin. She cut the psychic bond.

“Did that answer most of your questions?” he asked.

For a Lamai, Raven turned an admirable shade of apple red.

She answered him with a kiss. Her arms wrapped around him as she pressed closer, her breasts rubbing against his chest. The fabric’s sheer quality left nothing to his imagination. He cupped her breast, and she let out a lusty moan. Her eyes, icy silver now, gazed into his golden ones. Her hunger was taking control.

Kneeling before him, she pulled down the top of her dress. His eyes drank in her innocence, and in an instant he kissed her throat. She held his neck close, feeling the pulsing of his arteries. The nearness of him sent her reeling with desire.

He laid her down upon the blanket, raised her skirt and removed her panties. His strong hands caressed her. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he had bewitched her. Bo had a magick all his own. Sex appeal.

All magickal species enjoyed sex. Bo was no exception, but Raven psychically felt new emotions flooding his mind and heart. He seemed to want to protect her. As if he wanted her to be his mate—he was easy for her to read—something he had never before considered about another woman.

She radiated freshness and purity, though at that moment her thoughts were filled with many things, none of which were pure.

Raven writhed underneath him.

He leaned over her. The weight of his body sent sparks of heat through hers. “The desire between blood and lust is strong,” he whispered. Her hands stroked across his back, igniting a fierce fire.

“I don’t…I mean…I’m not like this, really. There’s something about you—like I’ve known you forever,” she whispered.

“Shh…it’s okay, I feel it, too.”

She reached for the waistband of his pants, unsnapping them, freeing him of the hindrance of the material. Raising her hips, she attempted to guide him inside her. He murmured words in a foreign language as he entered her warmth. A groan of satisfaction passed his lips.

He suddenly stopped. “You…you’ve never…you are a virgin.”

Bo must have seen the pain on her face. He was a large man, and she looked at him with wonder. He smiled as if to calm her for fear she’d run off into the woods and live out her days as a spinster Lamai.

She held onto him when he tried to pull out. “No, please. I want you… Don’t stop,” she whispered.

“Are you certain? I-I don’t want to hurt you, physically or emotionally.” He buried his head in her hair and kissed her neck. “Hmm, but I do want you so very much…” By the end of this night, he was going to have her. And she was going to let him.