But he didn't bite her. He didn't so much as allow his teeth to graze against her neck or shoulder. His tongue ran in a long, straight line from her neck down her collarbone where he kissed her shoulder and sighed.

"Mine," he murmured, sucking on her just below her right ear. "All mine."

He pulled her shirt up over her head and cupped her breasts, kneading her through her satin bra. With a push he had her on her back and straddled her, keeping her pinned to the sand while he knelt over her body and kissed his way down her neck and chest.

Her hands threaded in his hair, tugged at the roots until she wondered if she hurt him.

"Go ahead," he breathed. "Pull harder."

His words zipped an unexpected thrill through her, and she tightened her grasp, pulling his head toward hers and forcing him to kiss her hard. Submission--always submission--turned into a moment of control. The taste of him became intoxicating to her and she held him firmly, steadied him until she felt him give in to her.

His obedience, however, was short-lived. He swept one hand beneath her and drew her up until they were suspended inches from the ground. She felt the drag of her hair against the sand and the caress of wind across her shoulders in stark contrast to the warmth of his body smashed against her breasts and belly.

They were weightless without the aid of water, suspended by his own strength. For a moment she tensed, afraid to fall--always so afraid to fall--but he paused and waited for her to adjust to the sensation, for the butterflies in her stomach to take wing and flutter.

At last she took a breath and opened her eyes, seeing his face above hers and the stars glinting in the blackness above them. Darkness cloaked them, hugging tight in shades of ebony far above and the deep, dark obsidian bruise of a virgin night along the horizon.

"Mine," he said again, kissing her lips, his tongue teasing her, requesting entrance. "All mine."

"I don't think so," she murmured, wanting to be more than his.

He grunted in response, his fingers working against her nipples until she felt the throb of desire through her body in toe-curling delight. For a moment her eyes fluttered shut, her lips trembling, searching for the right words to say as he electrified her.

Bracing herself, she gripped his arms and tilted her body to the side, wrenching them until they dipped down. Michael gave an oof as he collided against the sand, but she smiled and knelt over him, rubbing her body against his like a cat in heat. He blinked at her, his gaze filled with amazement.

"Mine," she growled, pinning him with her weight, even though she knew he could easily topple her.

He chuckled against her lips and fondled her breasts, obviously enjoying the feel of her hardened nipples against the pads of his thumbs. Clothes became cumbersome and she fought to remove his belt, viciously clawing at the buckle before she wrapped one leather end around her fist and gave it a firm tug. It came free at last and she studied it, running her index finger along the smooth, body-warmed surface and wondering how she could use it to her advantage.

"What are you doing?" he questioned.

Her bra slipped from her shoulders, her breasts suddenly heavy and resting against his palms.

With a wicked smile, she leaned over him and groaned as he captured her nipple between his teeth. For one brief moment she forgot her intentions, but she wanted the upper hand, at least physically. With one hand planted on the ground, she lightly slapped his cheek.

"You'll do what I say," she commanded.

He looked stunned and pleased, his nostrils flared with each deep breath. "I never took you for dominant," he said, still teasing her breasts with his hands. Pleasure echoed through her, starting from the tips of her sensitive breasts and ending deep in her belly.

"Neither did I," she answered, forcing his hands above his head where she looped them through his belt and used a stick driven into the sand to secure him in place. Not the best device for keeping him immobilized, but she had a feeling he wouldn't fight her.

Still maintaining eye contact, she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her tongue along his hard chest, circling one nipple, then the other until the flat discs turned into small, hard peaks. She played with his pebbled flesh, tasting the salt of his body while she listened to him grunt.

He smiled at her, his fangs longer, his lips barely able to close over them. A hybrid erection, she thought, though she felt the real deal against her belly and purposely dragged herself down his body until she felt the length of him between her breasts.

In silence he continued to stare, his breaths sharp hisses between his teeth. Tilting her head, she inhaled the scent of his cologne and skin, the smell of a man aroused. The musk of him drew her lower, her lips brushing along his belly until her chin skimmed along the thick curls of hair between his legs. His cock stood thick and rigid, plum-colored and dripping a thin line of semen at the head.