“Someone religious, very religious.” Sera began to catch on to his line of thought.
“That’s half the town. Most of them go to church three times a week and pray before bed, I have no doubt. We’re in the Bible Belt. You can’t throw a stone in this town without hitting someone who believes in creationism and that the earth is six-thousand years old.” The old god huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Then involve them.” An idea formed in Sera’s mind. People would go out of their way for children, it was in their nature. And it would give them time to observe the actions and emotions of those they asked for help.
“Let’s go to the churches in town, ask them to be directly involved. Help out with the searches. Human nature dictates they be disgusted by harm to children. It is an imperative for humans to protect them. I can touch the coats of each person, see what I can find. We might just get lucky.” Ze had caught on and ran with it. She couldn’t believe they were already running on the same wavelength. It made her heart do a funny flip in her chest.
She slid her hand into his. He was willing to take on a hell of a lot of pain for this. Reading so many people in a short period of time? He might as well crack his head open now; it would hurt less. She would not let him face this alone, however. If she’d been pulled in once she could do it again. Maybe with them both working together, him being the conduit and her reading the memories, they might be able to mitigate some of the backlash he would feel.
“I’ll arrange it. We’ll get everyone together at the school gym. Then we’ll go from there.” He seemed to get his spark back with the plan. He pulled out his phone, already talking to the Sheriff as he left the RV.
Sera turned her gaze to Ze, who was looking a little white around the edges. She touched his cheek, and he came out of his daze, taking her hand and kissing the tips of her fingers.
“It will be okay, Pixie. You will be there to help.”
“That’s not what worries me. One of the reasons I retreated from the world was because I couldn’t take anyone else into my soul again. Every time you touch something that belongs to another person, that link is made and you will forever be tied to their memories, as if they were your own. When you read too much too quickly, you can lose yourself in other people. Finding a way back is difficult.”
She went quiet thinking back to what happened in school. It was a hard-learned lesson, one she’d kept close always, using it to remind herself what could happen if she read too deeply, or held on too long to someone else’s memories. She felt his warm fingers on her chin.
“Tell me what happened.”
Leaning back against him, she entwined her hand with his. Such a small thing, but to her, it was the most incredible action. Eventually, she began to talk.
“When I turned fifteen, I was attacked in school. I used to keep to myself, didn’t touch anyone, covered myself up—hands, arms—so I didn’t accidentally touch someone. So one day, these kids figured it would be fun to force me to endure their touch. They held me down, in turns, and placed their hands on my face. Their lives became my life. They couldn’t have known, of course, what would happen to me. I went into convulsions in the hallway, but not before I lived their lives in vivid detail.” Sera curled her legs under her, leaning her head against his chest. The memories of those people were still vivid in her mind.
“I saw everything. All the abuse, all the hate that they felt for their families, for the school. I didn’t want to know them; I wanted to hate them. One of them—the girl—was being sexually abused by her father, and her mother knew it. Her mother would punish her for tempting her father. Another was being bullied by kids older than him. His way of dealing with it was to take it out on those weaker so he could feel powerful. The last one was a boy who took beatings so his drunken father wouldn’t hurt his little sisters. The download of echoes into my brain put me in a coma for a month. A month in my own head, where I lived their lives and felt their pain, over and over. I knew it all. Even after I woke and the pain had subsided, I couldn’t hate them. I could barely face them. It took me a while to distinguish memory from reality.”
Ze ran his hand through her hair, the gesture comforting. She was worried for him and rightly so. She wanted to make sure he was not going into this lightly. He needed to know what could happen to him if he fell too far into the memories. If she managed to get in like she did with Marie’s blanket, then maybe they would have a chance.
Her voice was almost detached from her mind as she continued speaking. “I should have helped them. The boy being bullied at school finally snapped and stabbed his bully to death during homeroom. He ended up in prison for murder. The boy being abused ended up becoming an abuser himself. As for the girl, she killed herself, senior year. I kept thinking if I had said something, done something, it might have turned out differently for all of them. This gift will eat you alive, stripping away any part of you that makes you who you are. I ran away because I was losing what little of my soul remained.”
She pushed herself up, her eyes meeting his. “You don’t deserve this, Ze.” Sera dropped her gaze, and the demon snorted. His hand cupped her chin, and lifting her head, he covered her mouth with his. That lost tone in her voice pulled at his heart. He couldn’t have that.
He didn’t want her to feel that sort of pain ever again. Even though those kids had paid their dues for what they’d done, he still wished them pain. It wasn’t very charitable of him, but they had brought that pained look to her eyes, and he couldn’t stand it a moment longer. If this power switch were indeed permanent, then he would take the burden from her for the rest of his days.
He teased the edge of her lips with his tongue, sweeping his tongue between them until they parted for him. She molded her body to his. He would devote the rest of his days to making sure she never wanted for anything, that she was never alone again. He’d made damn sure that by the end of his assault she was wet and wanting from this kiss. He needed to drive that self-pity from her voice, that edge of shame. What happened to her had not been through any fault of her own. She’d been pulled into the lives of those that forced it upon her with no knowledge or understanding of what would happen to her.
He would take all the pain so she could live without it. Her hands tightened on his arms, and he kissed her until she whimpered, his tongue exploring deeply, darting in and out of her mouth in a slow rhythmic dance, making her body tremble. She was soft and pliant in his arms. Her tongue, always tentative at first, became as eager and lust driven as his own. He loved that her fire was always on a slow burn, and all he needed was a small breath of desire for the flames to spark back into life.
He pulled back with a satisfied grin on his lips. She was flushed, her lips swollen from his kiss, her eyes glazed. A smile spread on her lips and that adorable blush he loved to see rose on her cheeks. For all her naughty little desires, she was totally innocent.
“That’s cheating, you know?”
He raised an eyebrow at her as she let out a breath, smiling at him through hooded eyes. “It’s only considered cheating if you’re on the losing side. Oh, and just to clarify, Sera, I never lose.” His voice dropped an octave, and a shiver rushed over her skin. He liked that his voice sent her body into overdrive. She licked her lips, and just the sight of her tongue flicking out made his cock twitch. Damn, that tongue was becoming an erotic obsession. He was having daydreams about it licking the head of his cock.
“That sounds like pride talking, demon.”
Ze smiled, covering his heart and making a pained sound. He threw his head back dramatically.
“Don’t compare me to that poser! I’m the real deal, baby.”
“No, nothing like him at all,” she mocked.
He took hold of her waist and lifted her up, twisting, so she was under him. Sera erupted in a fit of giggles. Gods, he loved that sound coming from her. She covered her mouth and gaped at him in astonishment. Apparently giggling was foreign to her. Well, he was going to have to rec
tify that. He was not done bringing light and laughter into her life.
Ze looked down at the sprite below him, her curls a flaming liquid halo around her head. Green eyes peered deep into his soul and found the good he had long believed gone. For so long he had been pretending to be this laid back, happy male who would do anything for anyone, but his sin ate away at him. Every day was a struggle not to hurt those close to him because he couldn’t stop the jealously. None of them knew, not even Mammon, the brother that held the Sin of Greed. Then this woman blasted into his life like a gunshot, literally. She kept the jealousy at bay. In his darkest soul, he knew he would never have anyone as good as her. And she belonged to him.
Sera reached out and touched his stubble-covered cheek, bringing him back to the present. “You seemed lost for a second. What are you thinking about?”
“Truth?” She nodded. He swallowed hard. “I was thinking I can’t let you go. Call me selfish, but I can’t.”
Tears sprang into her jade eyes, and he felt a stab in his heart. He didn’t mean to upset her. Panic hit him for a second—what had he said to make her cry? And how did he make damn sure he never did it again?
“That’s good, because you’re stuck with me, demon. I promise not to use you for target practice if you stay.” Her words were like a benediction to his ears, perfect and pure. Nothing had ever sounded so wonderful and good.
With a smile he leaned in, brushing his nose along the column of her throat. “You can use me for target practice, or as a pillow. Hell, use me any way you wish, Pixie. I’m yours.”
Sera had always read in romance books about that moment when everything seemed to click. When the idea of being without that one person made your heart feel heavy in your chest and the pain it produced felt like it might drown you. Then they appeared, and their very presence became everything. Their happiness and their future became part of yours, and you were bound together. You couldn’t imagine a future without this person in your life. To do so would be like subjecting yourself to a life alone.
Her heart felt so full it was about to burst, yet this moment seemed so fragile, like a breath of wind could rip it asunder. Sera knew his words rang true. She could feel them settling around her, comforting her, shoring up her walls of protection. He was part of her now, part of her soul, and he would be strong for her when she couldn’t be strong for herself.
“And I’m yours.” Those three simple words were so powerful. Damn if she didn’t feel her nose burn with unshed tears.
He didn’t say anything, but leaned down, covering her mouth with his. In a slow, languid movement, he traced the edge of her lips until she parted for him, allowing his entrance. The kiss was deep and all-consuming, his weight pressing insistently against her. His hands moved slowly, running down her sides, then delving under her top. In one practiced move, he had it off and over her head, exposing her soft pink lace bra to his appreciative gaze.
Ze dropped her top to the floor, a smile spreading his lips. He trailed his fingers down the edge of her neck, over her collarbone, down over the sweet swell of her breasts. It was maddening. Her whole body seemed to flush at once, a rush of heat passing over her skin. She’d never experienced anything like it. From her toes to her head, it moved through her. She heard him chuckle, his fingers continuing their path.
Sera licked her lips. His eyes were so intense, greedily appraising her body as he traced the edge of her bra. Her breathing became rapid, her throat becoming dry. Each small brush of his fingers sent a shock deep down into her body, sparks of sensation flashing over her skin, robbing her of rational thought. She wriggled a little, craving more from him, yet her brain seemed to be misfiring from the new stimulation it had desperately sought for so long.
He pulled the cups of her bra down, exposing her to his liquid gaze. His low groan of appreciation ran over her skin, sending a shiver of luscious need deep into her womb. Then his mouth was on her, hot and sinful, his tongue sweeping against her peaked nipples, ripping a cry from her lips. Her body existed only in sensation now, responding to his every touch. A small bite of pain rushed through her as his teeth nipped down on the hypersensitive skin. Sera arched to his mouth, her legs tightening around his waist, fingers digging into his hair, clutching him and wanting to push him away all at once.
It was too much, this sensory overload. The rough brush of his stubble-covered face against her smooth skin might as well have been his fingers rubbing against her clit. She almost came apart as he bit down again on the much-neglected other breast, his hands wandering down her spine, holding her steady for his attentions.
So this is what people meant when they talked about being consumed by someone. His mouth commanded her obedience as he played her body like a beautiful instrument, his fingers and tongue tracing over her flesh, winding her body tighter with each second. No paltry romance novel could compare to the heat spiraling between her thighs. For years she’d read about how a woman was supposed to feel when touched by a man. Sera could now categorically say that those writers needed to rethink their choice of words. There was no sweet blossoming, no expanding fruitfulness within her core. This was a male determined to set her alight with his desire, ensuring she was crazy with the pulsing need and insanity-inducing burn now spreading up her legs to her lower back.
Sera cried out as the demon pulled a peaked nipple between his teeth. His teeth released it, his eyes promising so much more, but stopping just before she reached the precipice. A whimper left her lips. The damned arrogant bastard had the nerve to laugh at her! Sera opened her mouth to tell him where he could stick it and it didn’t include her.
She didn’t get a chance. In one move, he lifted her hips, fingers deftly popping the button to her jeans. He had them down her legs and on the floor of the RV in a second. Cool air rushed over her heated skin, and she felt a small trickle of trepidation breach her sexual haze. She realized, a little too late, that she was now laid out before him in just her bra and panties. The demon tilted his head to the side, a small smile on his lips as he regarded her body. His liquid gaze had her trembling all over. Hesitant, she attempted to cover her breasts.
Ze sat back. She was worried—he could see it in her jade eyes. Her once pliant body was now tense with fear of the unknown. He was not going to take her in an RV on a tiny bench with no padding like some rutting beast. Moving back up her length, he covered her lips, swallowing her small gasp with his mouth. It took a few moments, but her hands moved to his hips, her nails digging into his t-shirt, pulling at it, desperate to feel his skin. He nipped at her bottom lip before smiling.
“This is all about you, Sera. When I take you—and make no mistake, I will take you—it will be in a bed when I have a week to spend bringing you to new heights of sensation.” Okay, so he was pretty sure he might die of blue balls before that happened, but her first time deserved to be special.
His cock ached behind his fly, pulsing and throbbing with demanding intensity. He was adamant he was not going to lose his control. He would release his own built-up pressure later. No one had ever taken priority over his own desires until this female had entered his life. She was laid before him, willing, wanting, and he was the crazy fool determined to be a gallant gentleman and wait until she was ready and not homeless.
Sera reached up and touched his face. Gods, when had he turned so gallant? That was easy—when he saw a pair of flashing jade eyes staring at him down the length of a double-barrel shotgun. Now here she was kissing him, and she had no idea what those innocent kisses were doing to him.
Her sweet little actions had him groaning, his mind playing over and over the image of that tongue flicking over the head of his cock, her mouth taking his length. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder, praying for control over his raging need.
“I may not be willing to take your body entirely without a bed, Pixie. But I’m going to make you scream my name with my tongue.” The gravelly tone of his voice betrayed his aching need.
He could s
atisfy himself with tasting her, driving her to insanity with his tongue and his fingers—for now at least. Gods give him strength! He didn’t know how long he could continue without claiming this female as his own, marking her, ensuring that every male within a hundred-mile radius knew she belonged to him.
He was starting to learn her little gasps and the way she writhed. He nibbled and nipped down her stomach, fingers playing over the elastic of her panties. With aching deliberate intent, he gradually pulled the lace down, exposing her flesh to his gaze. Her sweet gasps were a melody to his ears. Resolute in his path, he trailed his tongue along the line between her thigh and the tight red curls that sheltered his prize. Not allowing her a second to breathe, Ze moved from the bench, kneeling before her and sliding one leg over his shoulder, opening her fully for his attention.
Her body was glistening with desire, her scent hitting him like a punch to the gut. The fragile grip he held on his control snapped, and with a growl, he parted her lips with his tongue. Sweeping long and slow toward her clit, he groaned, savoring her and flicking his tongue against the sensitive bud. Her cries filled the RV. She was going to be addictive, he knew it. Taking her clit between his lips and sucking, he sent her into writhing cries of release.
The demon growled against her mound, his tongue probing at her channel, lapping up the sweet release. He was sweating with the need that threatened to overwhelm the little control he’d managed to maintain. She was like a drug. Now that she was in his system, he would never be rid of the craving to taste it again, to feel that high rushing through his blood. He wanted more, needed more from her. She was flushed, panting, her head thrown back as her body was coaxed into new levels of ecstasy.
He felt her fingers sinking into his hair. She was trembling with the power of her climax, and he had to admit he felt like the king of the damn fuckin’ world right now. He parted her trembling lips with his fingers, blowing softly against her swollen clit. She almost came out of her skin, a sharp cry leaving her even as she writhed, needing more.
Envy's Kindness (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 15