Dark in You 04 – 01 – Embers

by Suzanne Wright

  When she was finally done in the shower, she patted herself dry and then wrapped the lush towel around herself. Leaving the steamy bathroom, she grabbed her brush from the dresser on her way into the walk-in closet. Harper then combed the tangles out of her wet hair as she flicked through the underwear drawer.

  She felt Knox enter the closet more than she heard him. He didn’t speak. Just came up behind her and brushed her hair over her shoulder, baring her nape. Feeling his hot breath on her skin made a little shiver race down her spine. And the bastard no doubt knew exactly what he was doing to her.

  Her eyes drifted shut as he nibbled and licked at her nape. Even through his clothes, she could feel his body heat blanketing her back and beating at her.

  “Drop the towel,” he whispered against her skin.

  “Knox, my head’s not in a good place right now and—”

  He sank his teeth into the crook of her neck. The move was as territorial as it was dominant. “Never keep what’s mine from me.” He licked over the bite. “Now drop the fucking towel.”

  The soft command made Harper swallow. Knox’s forceful nature wasn’t an act; he didn’t play a role. No, that assertiveness was part of him. He dominated from within. And damn if her body didn’t respond to it every time, heating and buzzing with arousal. Sexual energy snapped the air taut. And as she felt his intense focus center on her, the outside world disappeared. Her mind cleared of all her worries, leaving only the need to have him inside her. And he’d known that, she thought. Known this was a distraction they both needed.

  Clearing her suddenly dry throat, Harper let the towel puddle at her feet.

  “Better,” he said, sifting his fingers through her wet hair. “Now stay still for me.”

  Her eyes again drifted shut as he licked his way down her spine, scooping up any droplets of water. Goosebumps rose on her skin as a minor tremor quaked through her. She flinched as his teeth dug into one globe of her ass and he suckled hard. “Ow.”

  “Just renewing one of my marks,” said Knox, unapologetic. “You know I don’t like it when they fade.” He shoved her towel aside and stood. He quickly shed his clothes, all the while enjoying the sight of his mate. Naked. Wet. Waiting for direction.

  He knew her head was spinning with all he’d told her. His own head wasn’t in a much better state. Right now, he needed to feel her come apart around him. Needed the solace and peace that only Harper had ever been able to give him.

  Pressing his front to her back, Knox fisted her hair, yanked her head aside and spoke into her ear. “Shall I tell you what I’m going to do to you? I’m going to get you so fucking wet, you can’t take it. Then I’m going to rut on you the way my demon wants me to. Yeah, you’re going to get fucked right up against that wall in front of you, Harper. Hard. Rough. Exactly how we both need it.” He nipped her earlobe. “Turn around.”

  Cheeks flushed, Harper slowly turned. Her stomach twisted at the raw hunger and fierce possessiveness carved into his face. She knew that look. It said she was going to get ruthlessly fucked in a way that left her sore. “Knox, we—” He grabbed her chin and plunged his tongue into her mouth. And the world disappeared. All her thoughts were focused on him. On his mouth, so warm and demanding. On his taste, dark and rich. On the feel of his hands, skilled and confident as they skimmed over her.

  Digging her nails into his back, she sank into the kiss as his tongue danced with hers; licking, flicking, and gliding against her own. Feel-good chemicals raced through her system, making her head spin.

  A little desperate, Harper clawed at his back and tried taking over the kiss. It didn’t work. His hand snapped around her throat and squeezed—a punishment and a reminder of who had the control.

  With a growl, Knox pushed her against the wall, liking the way the breath left her lungs in a rush. He pinned her wrists at her sides, pressing her palms against the wall. “No touching me yet.” The sapphire shade of her irises swirled, turned murky, and then darkened to a charcoal gray that blazed with need. The sight made his balls tighten. “Beautiful,” he murmured.

  He leaned his weight against her, making her feel crowded and overpowered, knowing she loved it. Knowing she even needed that bit of dominance, despite her defiant nature. He shoved his knee between her legs and pushed them apart. “Keep your palms flat on the wall, Harper.” He slowly drew his finger down the column of her throat, between her breasts, along her stomach, but then veered down her inner thigh. She made a sound of frustration in the back of her throat. “What is it, baby?”

  “Can we skip the you-getting-me-so-wet-I-can’t-take-it part and just get straight to the fucking?”

  His eyes slammed on hers, glittering with a need that matched her own. “No.”

  Yeah, she’d figured he’d say that. Harper watched as he continued to trace her with his fingers and tongue. She’d never get used to how his eyes roamed over her that way; it was the kind of appraisal one would give a rare, treasured artifact. No matter how rough or curt he was, she never felt anything but adored.

  Taking in the sight of the little bites on her skin, pure masculine satisfaction welled up inside Knox. Never in his life had he or the entity been possessive of a partner—hell, another person—until Harper strolled into his office and turned his life upside fucking down. Knox sank his teeth into the side of her breast, renewing a fading mark. Honestly, he was as bad as his demon when it came to leaving marks of possession on her. He fucking loved her body. He knew every line, every curve, every dip, every sensitive spot. Knew how to drive her to a fever pitch of need. And that was exactly what he proceeded to do.

  He relished every sigh, moan, and gasp as he mercilessly toyed with her body; licking over the thorny brand on her neck, tugging on her nipple ring, tracing the brand circling her breast with his tongue, twisting and plucking her nipples, and drawing as much of her creamy breasts into his mouth as he could get. All the while, he ground his cock against her clit, tormenting her with what she couldn’t yet have.

  “I can’t possibly get any wetter at this point!” she burst out, nipples tight and tingly from the overwhelming attention he was lavishing them with. Her clit and pussy throbbed, wanting the same damn attention. But he was being an asshole.

  “Is that so?”

  Harper gasped as icy fingers softly scraped over the swollen lips of her pussy. His psychic fingers—despite being so cold—gave off pure heat and made every nerve ending feel so electric she felt like sobbing. “Don’t believe me? See for yourself.”

  Mouth curving at the dare, Knox dipped his finger inside her, almost groaning as her pussy, slick and inferno hot, clasped his finger tight. “Oh, you’re wet all right. But I’ve had wetter.”

  Her mouth dropped open, but he just smirked. “If you’re referring to any pussy than mine—”

  “Mine, Harper. Not yours. This belongs solely to me.” He thrust his finger deep and scooped out some of her cream to spread it over her clit. “Doesn’t it?”

  “Well—” A breath hissed out of her as he spanked her pussy.

  “Doesn’t it?”

  “Yes, asshole, it does.” She gasped as he trapped her clit between two of his fingers and gave it a gentle, delicious squeeze. “I take the asshole part back.”

  Knox chuckled. “Good of you.” She made him think of a hissing, spitting kitten when she was annoyed, and he couldn’t help but find it cute. Of course, he’d never tell her that. He liked his balls exactly where they were.

  Harper closed her eyes as his fingers glided forwards and backwards, stroking both sides of her clit. But then two icy psychic fingers shoved deep into her pussy, and her eyes snapped open. “Fuck.”

  The strange heat that came from those shockingly cold fingers made her pussy flame and throb. Every thrust of his psychic fingers only made her burn hotter and coil tighter until she was so damn needy she couldn’t stand it. Her sizzling nerve endings were so alive they fairly buzzed.

  Knox bit her lower lip. “No one else can do what I do to
you,” he said, voice thickly possessive. “No one.”

  He was right, thought Harper. Not only because he was literally the only person who could take the burning ache away once he’d put it there, but because no one else could ever compare to him. From the first night, he’d become her sexual benchmark that would be impossible to meet. Everyone else would fall short.

  Feeling her orgasm creep up on her, she warned, “I’m gonna come.”

  “Not yet you’re not.”

  A sob caught in her throat as the psychic fingers dissipated inside her, leaving her inner walls tingling. “Knox—” He smoothly hoisted her up and dropped her on his cock, shocking the breath out of her. Harper’s hands flew to his arms, nails digging deep. Thick and hard and long, his cock filled and stretched her pussy until it burned. Her tingling walls were so hypersensitive from the psychic fingers, she could feel every ridge and vein, and it was almost uncomfortable to take him.

  “Palms flat on the wall, Harper,” Knox ordered, voice guttural. Instead, she dug her nails deeper into his arms. He delivered a sharp slap to her ass. “Palms flat on the fucking wall.” Her pussy—tight, slick, and scorching hot—quaked around his cock and soaked him in a rush of cream. He clenched his teeth, silently cursing. “Now, Harper.”

  Hissing, she slapped her palms on the wall at her back, eyes shooting fire. “There, asshole. You happy now?”

  “Elated.” He cupped her ass and spread the globes enough for it to sting just a little. She liked a bit of pain with her pleasure, and Knox knew exactly what line she rode between the two. “Now you get fucked.”

  He punched his hips hard, slamming into her tight pussy over and over. It was like burying himself in silken fire, and he loved every goddamn second of it. Loved feeling her slick inner walls squeeze and flutter around him. “I’ll never get enough of this pussy. My pussy. Who owns you, Harper?”

  “You,” she rasped, too desperate to come to challenge him on that.

  “Yes. Me.” His demon rushed to the surface, chilling the air. “And me,” it said. Then it was furiously powering into her.

  “Fuck,” hissed Harper. The demon was so much rougher than Knox. Gave her no reprieve or mercy, just jackhammered into her like it was trying to punch a hole through her back or something.

  Still slamming deep, it shoved its finger into her mouth. “Suck.”

  She hesitated, because she knew where that finger would then go.

  “Suck. It can go in wet or it can go in dry—make your choice.”

  Motherfucker. Harper sucked on the digit. Sure enough, the wet finger sank into her ass. No probing. No preamble. The demon just pushed it knuckle-deep. And then it was kissing her—no, ravishing her mouth, taking complete possession of it.

  She felt the change in Knox’s body—the kiss was no longer quite so bruising, and his thrusts lost their aggressive edge—and she knew the demon had retreated. Knox didn’t withdraw his finger from her ass, though. No, he began to add another. Bastard. “Don’t, or I’ll come.” The sting would throw her over—she knew it, he knew it.

  “You’ll fight it.”

  She shook her head. “Can’t.”

  “You will.” Knox shoved the second finger inside her ass and upped the pace of his thrusts, driving deeper. The hot clasp of her pussy, the little moans she made, the scent of her need, the sway of her tits, the feel of her ass squeezing his fingers … He growled. “Wrap me up tight, baby.” The moment she locked her arms and legs securely around him, he leaned into her so that he hit her clit with each brutal thrust. “Fucking come. Let me feel … that’s it.”

  White-hot pleasure violently whipped through her, making her eyes go blind, her mouth open in a silent scream, and her pussy spasm and clamp around his cock. Biting out a harsh curse, he swelled even thicker inside her as he brutally shoved himself deep and exploded. Every hot splash of his come soaked her quaking walls. And Harper just lost every ounce of her strength.

  CHAPTER SIX

  As his mate slumped over him, quivering with aftershocks, Knox kissed her temple. “Fuck, baby, I needed that.”

  Eyes closed, Harper hummed against his neck. “So did I.” Hot, silky flames rose around them and licked at her skin, but she didn’t stir. Knew they’d never burn her. Moments later, the fire eased away, and she opened her eyes to see that they were standing near the bed.

  Knox toppled her onto the deluxe mattress, positioning them both on their sides with their heads on the super soft pillows that his mate adored. Usually, a look of pure contentment crossed her face when her head first sank into them, but not tonight. Lines of strain had settled there, and it didn’t look as if they’d disappear any time soon.

  The same anger and agitation lingered in Knox, twisting his stomach and riding his demon. Asher was just a baby. He hadn’t done a damn thing to anyone. Knox wanted him happy, safe, secure. Not the target of a fucking incorporeal.

  The fact that the Horseman would send one after a baby said he clearly had no conscience at all. To him, anyone was expendable. Even people like Alethea, who had aided him. All the bastard cared about was achieving his goal.

  Knox wondered if behind the Horseman’s determination to succeed lay a hint of desperation. So far, his plans had failed. Those failures were surely hits to his ego. Now he had something to prove—both to himself and to others. But he decided not to say as much to Harper. He wanted her to relax.

  Combing his fingers through her hair, he whispered, “Sleep, baby.”

  “Can’t. It’s hard to sleep when you know there’s a threat to your son at large. You know, I hate it say it, but sending an incorporeal after Asher was a smart move. We’re now on edge, distracted, and need to be so alert for signs of the incorporeal that we can’t concentrate on finding the Horseman. He was probably counting on that.”

  Knox skimmed his fingers over the curve of her shoulder. “I’d say so. It is imperative that we destroy the incorporeal. It won’t stop. Not for anything. Ever seen a dog sitting near a store with its leash tied to something, keeping it from running off? That’s the incorporeal’s situation. It’s stuck until it’s fulfilled its end of the bargain, whether the person it made the bargain with is dead or alive.”

  “Everything in me itches to hunt the fucking Horseman and his pet incorporeal.”

  It was the sphinx in her, thought Knox. Her kind, like lions, would single-mindedly track, hunt, and run down their prey. That inborn instinct would no doubt taunt her until the incorporeal was caught. “I’ll get them.”

  “We’ll get them. You’re not pushing me out of this fight, Knox. This isn’t just about revenge for me. I need to be part of this. I need to be proactive in ensuring you and our son are safe. I know you would love it if me and Asher were here at all times because you’re ridiculously overprotective of us both—”

  “That’s not something I can change.”

  “And it’s probably something else that the Horseman is counting on. If I’m here all the time, I’m not searching for him. And it will look to others like either I’m hiding from him out of fear or that you’re making me stay on the estate out of fear for me. If demonkind think we fear him, they’ll fear him even more than they already do. People are easier to manipulate and control if they’re afraid.”

  Knox wished to fuck that he could argue with that, but he truly couldn’t.

  “You know me, Knox. You know I couldn’t stay home until this is all over even if I wanted to—it would only be a matter of time before I snapped.” She’d never been good at staying indoors, even as a kid. And as much as she loved being with Asher, she’d miss adult company. Meg and Dan were great, but they were also busy people. “I don’t want to leave Asher’s side, but the best way to ensure his safety is to get the bastards who are threats to him.”

  Resting his forehead against hers, Knox sighed. “I need you safe.”

  “I know. But don’t ask me to hole up here. I can’t do it, Knox. Not even for you. Please don’t ask me to.”

  K
nox silently swore. He’d seen this coming, because he knew her so well. He’d long ago learned that Harper would never ignore the urge to protect those who mattered to her. She was protective right down to her core, much like her grandmother.

  “Imagine if I asked you to stay home with me and Asher. Could you?”

  He sifted his fingers through her hair. “No,” he reluctantly admitted. “I couldn’t.”

  She curled her fingers around his wrist. “We work together on this. I might not be as powerful as you, but I’m not weak.”

  “You’re definitely not weak—I’ve never once thought you were anything but strong.” Her expression dared him to prove it, and Knox sighed inwardly. He wasn’t going to be able to talk her out of this. If their situations were reversed, she’d have no more success talking him out of it. So, going against every protective instinct he had, Knox said, “All right, we work together.” His demon snarled, though it also understood and respected her need to hunt the fuckers presenting a threat to their family.

  Letting out a long breath, she said, “Good. So what’s the plan?”

  “I have the feeling that the best chance we have of identifying the Horseman is if we find out what Alethea was up to before she disappeared. Larkin’s working on that. We also need to find out where Alethea got the incorporeal. I’ll write to Dion tomorrow and request a meeting with him. If he’s not the collector we’re looking for, he may know who is. While we wait for Larkin to gather information and for Dion to contact me, I plan to do the very thing that the Horseman won’t expect—continue as normal and go about my daily business as if he’s not on my radar.”

  “You’d be delivering the ultimate insult to him.” Which Harper liked a fuck of a lot. “I’ll do the same.” She chewed the inside of her cheek. “But we need to leave Asher at home whenever either of us leaves the house. People would understand that—they’d see it as us being protective parents, not as us being afraid of the Horseman.”