E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  It was on the tip of my tongue to reject him, to continue the verbal war we’d started. But I was too lost to the sensation to even try. “Violent,” I replied instead. “Harsh. Make it hurt. Remind me why I hate you.”

  He hummed in approval, his resulting kiss a savage promise underlined in severity and bordering on cruel.

  Passion thrived between us—a passion inspired by the deep-seated wrongness of our connection. The devastation of our past. The ensured destruction of our future.

  I loathed him with a fiery energy that seared my very soul, yet craved him more with every inhale. “Now, Cassius.”

  “Only because you want it to hurt,” he murmured, his hips gliding against mine. I didn’t understand what he meant until the head of his cock found my entrance and drove inside.

  A scream lodged in my throat, the impact of his thrust shooting off stars behind my eyes. “Fuck.” I’d forgotten how his size affected me, why I always preferred foreplay first. He hadn’t expanded me to accommodate him, just took what had always belonged to him, and burned me with every inch of that impressive length. And he didn’t give me a moment to acclimate, meeting my request with savage thrusts meant to bruise.

  This was a punishment wrapped up in ecstasy. A mutual abhorrence punctuated by longing.

  I did miss him. So damn much. Every muscled inch of his perfection. Each possessive touch. And that sinful mouth.

  Oh, God, yes.

  He knew exactly how to take me, how to complete me, how to destroy me, all in the same breath. I allowed it because there was no other option.

  No. That wasn’t true.

  I allowed it because I wanted it. Wanted him. Wanted this.

  His mouth ravaged mine, his grip arduous, his pace intense. I met him with each thrust, crying out in anguished rapture, biting him in a silent demand to stop while encouraging him with my nails against his neck.

  It was chaos in its purest form. A dark dance of fate intertwined with death and utter desolation.

  Resentment simmered beneath my skin.

  Love pulsed in my heart.

  Antagonism lashed out through my tongue.

  Adoration sang to him from my soul.

  His hand slipped to my core, his thumb finding my clit and circling it with a reverence that belied his fierce pace. It was barbaric and perfect and asinine.

  And exactly what I needed.

  My lower belly curled in anticipation, my legs quivering around him as I clamped my thighs down in a ferocious hold. There was no escaping me. No retreating now. No turning back from the cataclysmic turn of events.

  We were going down together.

  As a unit.

  To burn in the fiery pits of despair as two star-crossed lovers who never should have indulged in this wicked affair.

  “Now, Kseniya,” he demanded, his words speaking to the part of my soul that bowed to his superiority.

  Even after all these years, I couldn’t disappoint him, couldn’t deny him, couldn’t stand up and take charge.

  He’d possessed me from the very first day we met, those sinful silver eyes gleaming with a desire that rivaled my own. I’d knelt for him then, just as I’d kneel for him now.

  My inner walls squeezed, my bloodstream spiking with adrenaline and sending me straight to hell on a scream that resembled his name.

  My Cassius.

  My enemy.

  My lover.

  Mine.

  Tears streamed from my eyes, the pleasure too much, the passionate inferno threatening to swallow every bit of my resolve and shatter me into exquisite pieces of ash.

  Only, he followed me over that precipice, joining me in my agony, his own growl a benediction of sorts that tied us together in the abyss.

  My limbs quivered with the release, my stomach cramping deliciously as wave after wave of euphoria rolled through each of my senses, drowning me in an enchanted sea.

  It was so peaceful here.

  So calm.

  No sparring or verbal wars. No grating emotions. Just a joyful existence humming with electricity and grace.

  Maybe I was dead.

  I couldn’t see anything, only a black, starless night with a light mist. A sigh escaped me, my forehead meeting a hard shoulder. Cassius. His fingers were combing through my hair, cherishing me with each stroke.

  He held me so close, caressing me with such care, I longed to weep.

  The scent of peppermint shampoo met my nose. I inhaled deeply, indulging in the fragrance, then sighed once more as he continued to brush through my tangled strands.

  Some part of me recognized that he was bathing me now, his cock still lodged inside me as he held me up against the wall. It was unmistakably intimate, and while I should have fought it, I just didn’t have the energy to try. So I reveled in it instead, warming beneath his sensual touch.

  The soap reminded me of him, the cinnamon and ginger fragrance one I always associated with Cassius.

  It wrapped around me, creating a blanket of security and comfort that I couldn’t help but accept.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his lips near my ear.

  For what? I wanted to ask, but I was too lost in the bliss of his petting to try. Instead, I relaxed against him, allowing him to take complete control.

  I must have dozed on his shoulder, because I awoke to the sensation of cotton against my skin, a soft towel wiping away the droplets of water and leaving me dry on the counter.

  My eyes met his briefly, his lips curling into a knowing smile as I watched him pat himself dry, his arousal hanging prominently between his legs.

  We were going to fuck again.

  I could see it in his expression, feel it in my bones.

  I welcomed it, accepting his hand as he led me to his bedroom and up into his four-poster bed. But as he entered me this time, it was slower. More thorough. A new memory engraved into my heart.

  He didn’t rush it, didn’t make this time hurt, but instead soothed every ache inside me with his thorough pace.

  More tears escaped my eyes, each one caught by his mouth.

  He was making love to me in his own way, reminding me of what we used to have. I recognized it as a torment, one he would use against me when we awoke and he took it all away again. But I granted myself the indulgence, seeing this as a moment of closure.

  We loved each other once.

  This was what it had felt like.

  And tomorrow, we would return to our fight. It would hurt. Mostly because I’d allowed this moment to happen.

  I’d hate myself for it. Hate him even more, too.

  Even after everything he’d done to me, I couldn’t say no to him. I didn’t want to refuse him. And perhaps that made me a fool.

  However, for tonight, I’d remember who we once were. I’d dream of a different path. I’d lose myself to the hope of an alternate existence.

  “I love you,” I admitted, arching up into him. “But I also hate you.”

  “I know,” he replied, kissing away yet another tear. “And I missed you, Kseniya.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  His mouth sealed over mine, speaking words with his tongue instead of his voice.

  So much love.

  So much pain.

  So much fury.

  I returned it all in kind, my arms around his neck, my legs cradling his. I welcomed him into me, opened my heart for just the night, and allowed this man to consume me entirely.

  Until morning, I promised myself. Only until morning.

  15

  Cassius

  Sunlight spilled over my black silk covers, illuminating the gorgeous female beside me. The gem of her amulet glistened, drawing my gaze to her breasts. Her rosy nipples beaded alluringly in the cool morning air. I bent to capture one with my teeth, stirring a moan from my still-sleeping slayer.

  I wasn’t ready to embrace the new day yet, as I knew what it would bring.

  Everything would either end for good between us or begin again.

 
Because I’d meant what I’d said—if I found out all of this had been a ruse on her part, I’d kill her. No more games. No more torment. Just sweet, blissful death.

  But before we ventured into that dark territory, I wanted to taste her, to provide us both with a sensual memory to last a lifetime.

  If this was my last time touching her, I needed to make it count.

  I trailed my mouth down her flat stomach to her shaved mound, and lower to the glistening folds between her thighs. My name fell from her lips, her eyes still closed as though lost to a dream.

  I smiled, pleased that her fantasy included me. I’d ask her later to tell me about it. And if she proved herself to be truthful, then I’d indulge her in as many of those visions as she pleased.

  Her back arched as I grazed her clit with my nose. Mmm. My eyes momentarily closed at the beautiful aroma of her mounting arousal, my tongue begging for a taste. But I didn’t give in to the desire. I wanted to draw this out, to tease her with my breath, and see just how wet she would become before she woke.

  I ran my fingers up her thighs, my body settling between her legs.

  Goose bumps pebbled along her skin, her forehead creasing as another moan spilled from her mouth.

  “Cassius,” she exhaled, her muscles tightening around me. “Please.”

  “Begging me even in your dreams,” I replied. “That’s my good little slayer.” She knew how I adored watching her plead with me to take her, to fuck her, to give her the pleasure she so badly needed.

  Kseniya shivered, another delectable sound gracing the air, followed by an incoherent mumble that sounded a little bit like a curse.

  I chuckled against her pussy, purposely close enough to vibrate her sensitive bud. She jolted, a groan escaping her as her eyelashes began to flutter. Her hand slipped down her abdomen toward me, only to freeze upon finding me between her thighs.

  Beautiful purple irises fixated on me, her pupils blowing wide. “Cassius.”

  “Yes, sweetheart?” I asked, bending to nibble her swollen nub.

  She jolted beneath me, her gasp music to my ears. “Oh, fuck.”

  “No, I intend to lick,” I corrected her, demonstrating with a firm stroke between her folds. Her fingers went to my hair, clutching my white strands and holding me to her as she wantonly raised her hips.

  “More.”

  Normally, I’d punish such a demand, but in this case, I agreed too much to deny her. Because now that I had her taste on my tongue, I needed more. Just as she said. And so I indulged myself, greedily memorizing her with my mouth and intimately kissing the female I considered mine.

  She writhed beneath me, thoughts of our pending doom nowhere near her mind. I loved that I could do that—force her to fall into the pleasure and ignore everything else.

  Her grip tightened as she tried to guide me to the place she desired, her yearning a hot wave in the war that went straight to my dick. I was already hard, but hearing her heartfelt mewls made me throb for her.

  But I wanted to feel her come first.

  I needed her to saturate my tongue, to provide a sensory memory to last a lifetime.

  So I drove her over the edge with my mouth, my fangs skimming her clit to give her the slight pinch of pain I knew she craved. And then she fell apart beneath me, her grip tight and harsh against my head as she rode my mouth to oblivion.

  It was fucking erotic as hell. I nearly came just from watching her. In this state, she cared about no one other than us, her focus entirely on the pleasure and none of the outside noise.

  I didn’t allow her to leave that state, instead crawling up her body and sliding home inside her in one quick thrust. She cried out at the intrusion, then captured my mouth with her own in a furious kiss meant to bruise.

  This was my Kseniya, my wildcat, my perfect killer. She fought me every step of the way, her hips pushing against mine to force me to my side and my back as she settled on top of me.

  I let her ride.

  I let her fly.

  I let her do whatever the fuck she wanted because in this state, she was glorious and hypnotic and so damn beautiful it hurt my heart.

  She sat up, her breasts bouncing with each shift of her hips, her pace one I’d taught her long ago. Her nails bit into my chest, her eyes wild as though lost to her dreams. And maybe she was. Maybe she thought this was all in her mind. Somehow that made it even hotter, knowing that this was her unhinged and unguarded.

  Her pussy began to tighten around me, another orgasm mounting inside her. I sat up, taking back her control by wrapping her hair in my fist and forcing her to kiss me. She growled and I snarled back. Then I flipped her off of me and onto her knees.

  She tried to fight again, but I caught her hips and mounted her from behind, dominating her in the best way.

  This woman loved power exchange, her independent soul craving a break in her steadfast control. I gave that to her now, taking away her choices and guiding her toward the cliff of no return.

  She bent forward, her fingers gripping the bed as she accepted my powerful thrusts. I reached around her to thrum the place I knew she needed to be touched. Kseniya groaned in response, her body vibrating with need below mine as I drove her headfirst into ecstasy.

  “Cassius!” She practically shrieked my name, her arms giving out from the onslaught of her orgasm. I caught her around her stomach just as my shaft pulsated, my seed erupting inside her and drawing a guttural sound from my throat.

  I buried my face in her neck, prolonging our joined climax with several more deep thrusts, before finally caving to the rapture and falling to the bed with her beside me.

  We panted heavily, her back to my front and my arm still tight around her.

  For minutes, or perhaps hours, we lay there, saying nothing and feeling everything.

  We both knew what came next, and neither of us wanted to spoil the moment.

  If Kseniya had thought she was dreaming before, she knew now that it was real. Which explained the stiffness in her shoulders and the sense of dread hanging over us.

  “One more minute,” I whispered against her neck. “Then we’ll begin.”

  “Okay,” she replied, understanding what I meant.

  I didn’t count the seconds. Instead, I enjoyed our final blissful moment of peace. I kissed the sensitive space behind her ear. I nuzzled her hair. I just held her.

  Then I sighed. “Tell me your version of that night.” She hadn’t fully explained it before, only hinting at what she thought had happened. “What do you think I did?”

  She didn’t try to move away from me. Nor did she attempt to argue. She merely told me her version of what happened that night, stating I’d provided Dimitri with the secret tunnels and granted him entry into the palace to help him annihilate all the slayers. “Which is why you’re here now,” she concluded. “To finish the job.”

  I stayed silent for a heartbeat, contemplating her side of things. Her pulse had remained steady through her statement, lending credence to her belief in it being the truth. But it infuriated me that she thought I’d betray her in such a way. “If I wanted you dead, little slayer, you’d already be dead.”

  “You want me to suffer first, just like the Romanovs.”

  “Oh, they’re suffering,” I agreed. “But not because of my desires or plans.”

  I released her and rolled off the bed. There was only one way to solve this. She needed to see. Nothing I said would convince her. I also wanted to observe her reaction to what I revealed, to test the truthfulness of her words.

  Kseniya watched me as I pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Then she frowned as I tossed her a shirt and a pair of boxers. She was tiny enough that the latter would resemble shorts on her. “Put those on.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to show you something.” I grabbed a pair of shoes and socks, then looked at her. “Unless you want to remain naked. I’m fine with that, but you may wish you’d taken me up on the clothing offer after you see where we’re go
ing.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Put on the clothes, Kseniya,” I said, leaving her to check on Luci. The hellhound had taken over my leather couch, her head propped up on a pillow as I entered. She wagged her tail slowly, then glanced pointedly at the arm she’d left on the floor beside her. “Good girl.”

  She snorted.

  “Do you want to come with us or stay here?” I asked.

  She perked up slightly, then canted her head.

  I showed her my ring. “Portal jump.”

  She stood up and stretched out her front legs, then her back, before lazily climbing off the leather. I narrowed my gaze at the spot, noting the singe marks. “Did you burn my couch?”

  Her tail wagged a little, her expression unapologetic.

  Well, I’d only told her not to eat the bone on my furniture. I didn’t say anything about burning it.

  With a sigh, I returned to the bedroom and found Kseniya dressed in my clothes, her hair deliciously rumpled from our night of sex.

  Yeah, I’d be leaving her in that state. “Do you need anything before we go?” I asked her.

  “My phone and a stake would be great,” she drawled.

  “I was referring to coffee or breakfast.” I glanced at the windows, noting the time. “Or lunch.” With her amulet around her neck, she wouldn’t require as much food, but I wanted her comfortable.

  “How about you tell me where we’re going instead?” she suggested.

  “To the past,” I informed her softly, speaking in nonliteral terms. We wouldn’t actually be going back in time, just to our true reality. “So you can see my version of events from that night.”

  Her jaw ticked. “Was that the point of all this? To lull me into a sense of contentment through sex, just to throw me back into hell? To show me an evening of fake kindness, only to rip it all away again?” She laughed without humor, muttering to herself, “Of course, I knew that was the plan, just as I knew this would hurt. But I just had to experience it, didn’t I?”

  “You have a very low opinion of me,” I noted dryly. “Which I suppose I’ve earned over the last few days, but the past transgressions you hold against me are very wrong. I didn’t show Dimitri the tunnels. As I said last night, he already knew. Just as I already knew about them.”