“Am I?” He took her hand and pressed it against his swollen cock. It was a mistake! A terrible fucking mistake! His body shuddering and heart pounding in his ears, he clenched his jaw, groaning aloud. He was so damn hard, impossibly swollen. He released her hand, hoping she would move it. She didn’t. Oh hell, he was so damn sensitive.
Her gaze jumped to her hand, and she froze. He was huge. She looked up at him, unable to move her hand away from the fascinating heat of his bulging erection. Even through the material of his pants, she savored and feared the proof of his desire. Her heart beat frantically. Tiny beads of sweat formed all over her body. Her most secret place suffered a peculiar, powerful ache. Knowing and accepting the extent of his need for her was alarmingly. It was shocking, but it was so wonderful it caused fascinating sensations to spread throughout her body and over her flesh, more intense than anything she’d ever experienced.
Turbulent currents raced through his body, electrifying and scintillating, gliding over his ultra-sensitive flesh. Standing on the tips of her toes, she leaned closer to him and feathered kisses along the base of his throat. All the while, her hand remained over his cock. Motionless. Holding him. Driving him insane. Nearly pushing him to the brink of detonation. He couldn’t believe how poorly his body was behaving over a simple touch. Her tiny hand was defying his strength, completely and utterly annihilating his ironclad stamina. His cock was impossibly hard. Excruciatingly hard. He needed to move her hand before he burst in his pants.
Of course, he would be damned if she didn’t have another idea. She picked that moment to give his erection an experimental squeeze. His cock jerked. His entire damn body jerked. His cock throbbed so damn much. It was swollen way beyond the point of pain. With her palm, she rubbed the full length of him. In sheer, glorious agony, he gritted his teeth, every muscle in his body tensing, trembling from the effort it took to not make an embarrassing mess in his pants. Pressing her hand more firmly, she continued to explore.
He needed to stop her! “Damn it.” He grabbed her hand.
Mortified, she stared up at him. “I’m sorry.” She attempted to hide her shame by looking down at her feet.
He had a choice. He could either save his ego or her heart. After a brief but intense internal debate, he chose her heart. Lifting her chin, “Caylee, there’s no reason for you to be sorry. I’ve dreamed of you touching me, exploring my body for so long. Maybe it’s been too long. Words cannot describe how much I enjoy your touch.”
She didn’t understand. If what he was saying was true, why had he gotten mad? “What do you mean?”
Damn. Damn. Damn. She was going to force him to admit she made him weak. “The pleasure of your touch is more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced.”
She shook her head. “Why would that make you mad?”
“I’m not angry.” At least, not at her; his body on the other hand was treading on thin ice. Why couldn’t she leave well enough alone? Seriously, did he really have to annihilate his ego? Thankfully, being a demon, he was skilled in the art of deception. He didn’t have to tell her he’d nearly prematurely ejaculated in his pants. “I’m overly excited. I don’t want to rush, but you tempt me to rip your clothing off and slam into your body hard and fast.” He grinned. There—that should throw a bucket of ice on the situation.
She didn’t see the problem. Eager was good, wasn’t it? “That’s a wonderful thing, right? I mean, if we’re going to make love, shouldn’t you be eager? Shouldn’t I be eager?” She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him nearer. “I sure hope eager is good. I want you, Haden. I’m very eager to feel you inside me.”
“Eager is good.” Leaning down he kissed her roughly, passionately. “Very good. It’s wonderful.” His dominant nature rising, he took possession of her lips. He was on fire, desperate, ready to explode.
She too was on fire, needing so much more. “Absolutely wonderful.”
Boldly caressing, almost frantically exploring each other, they kissed deeply, their tongues dueling, their hearts racing. Pressing his body against hers, pinning her backside against the wall, he cupped her breasts in his hands, teasing her nipples with his thumbs. It was too much, but not enough. She needed to feel his flesh against hers; every inch of her body was alive with desire.
She bit his lower lip, tugging on it as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it open enough to expose his chest. She stared at his well-defined chest and stomach, so perfectly muscled, a flawlessly sculpted statue except for a faint scar left from the knife wound. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. It was her fault. He’d been protecting her. He could’ve died. What if he had died? She couldn’t possibly live in a world without him.
“It’s not your fault. I’ve been wounded thousands of times. I’m not easily killed, little love. I’m immortal.” Looking as naughty as sin, he grinned at her. “I can’t die. I’m too determined to boss you around until the end of time.”
Smiling, she traced the scar on his chest with her finger, and then she looked him. “You can try to boss me around all you want, but I promise to do my best to make sure it’s never an easy task.”
“I never try, little love—I do.”
“We will see about that.” Standing on the very tips of her toes, she feathered kisses along his jaw and down his neck.
He was in terrible shape. He’d never felt such desperation to be with a woman. She owned him. His body and his soul fully belonged to her. No matter how far back in his life he looked, he couldn’t pinpoint a single instant that he didn’t have complete confidence in his control over his body. “Yes, we will.”
He knew he was in trouble. He was happily at her mercy. It was pathetic. He was pathetic. Pathetic was good. Reaching down, he caressed the backside of her thighs and her hips, and then up her sides, in her shirt; her flesh was so hot, so satiny soft against the rough texture of his calloused hands. Oh yeah, pathetic was wonderful.
Exploring the masculine contours of his chest with her fingers, she continued to kiss the base of his neck and throat. Searing heat radiated from his flesh. His powerful muscles rippled and tensed beneath her fingers. It wasn’t enough to just feel his flesh with her fingers. She wanted more, needed more. She kissed his chest, unknowingly teasing his surprisingly way overly sensitive, flat nipples with her fingers.
At first her mouth moved timidly, but eventually she was boldly exploring, savoring every inch of his chest with the moist warmth of her lips and tongue. God save them if she got frightened and tried to stop. He knew in his heart there was no going back. There was no stopping. He was way beyond the point of wanting to bury himself deep inside her body. He needed to feel her heat wrapped around him more than he needed to take his next breath. He grabbed her hips and forcefully pulled her nearer, pressing her body against his.
She gasped, momentarily shocked by the feeling of his swollen shaft pressed so snugly against her belly. “Haden?” There was fear and uncertainty in her voice, in her eyes.
“Trust me.” He knew he couldn’t allow her to think about it. “It’s okay, little love.” He bent his head and took possession of her lips, savoring the sweetness of her kiss. “Kiss me.”
She was a little afraid, but he was wrong. She wasn’t uncertain. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. The passion they were sharing was much better than okay. It was astounding. Her breasts, pressed against his well-muscled chest, tingled. A tantalizing sensation spread over her most feminine place so she had no other choice but to seek relief by helplessly moving her body against his.
The sensation of her body moving against his and sound of her soft, whimpering pleas for more was more than he could take. He took her mouth more aggressively, pinning her against the wall, exploring every lush curve of her body with his hands.
Eventually, he couldn’t take anymore. Scooping her up, he cradled her against his chest, kissing her deeply as he carried her across the room. Gently, he lowered her onto the bed.
Staring up at him, she held her
breath, her eyes wide with the wonder of the powerful sensations racing through her body and over her flesh. She looked like a sexy seductress and an innocent young virgin all at the same time. She was everything to him. She was the substance of his most cherished dream. But if she knew what he was, if she knew the entire truth, she wouldn’t be in his bed.
What right did he have to claim her now? She wasn’t the only one keeping a secret; he too was keeping one, and it was enormous. He hadn’t thought about it much lately, but now it was weighing down on him. She deserved to know the truth. He could’ve prevented her from being forced to endure a lifetime of violence, but he’d decided to walk away from her. Yes, he’d known what she was to him many years ago, he’d known she was living in violence, but he’d abandoned her. He’d failed her. He’d allowed her to suffer, and she didn’t even know about it. She might forgive him, but he would never forgive himself.
Standing up, he pulled his shirt on and walked to the other side of the room, keeping his back to her as he buttoned his shirt. Rendered speechless, she watched him for a moment, and then she got up from the bed and walked up behind him. She reached out and turned him around. Terrible pain and sadness filled his eyes as he reached out and placed his hand on the side of her face. “I’m so sorry.”
She turned her head and kissed his palm. “For what?” She took his hand in hers, needing to feel the warmth of it as she gazed up at him. “Please, Haden, tell me what’s wrong.”
“There are things you don’t know about me. And I’m convinced that if you did, you would be appalled. In the very least you would have second thoughts about being intimate with me.” He wasn’t certain how to continue the conversation without revealing he knew the secret she was keeping from him. Stalling, he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. “I want you to be sure this is what you want. No. I need you to be sure. We need to slow down.”
The last thing she wanted was to slow down. “I have no doubts I want to make love with you.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she studied him. “And, unless you’re hiding another woman on the side, I’m certain there is no way anything I don’t know about you is going to change my mind in the future.” She smiled up at him. “Is there another woman, Haden?”
“No, absolutely not.” He couldn’t allow her to have doubt in his faithfulness. And yet, he couldn’t avoid telling her he knew her secret if he revealed his. Maybe it was time to further introduce her to the truth of what he was. Surely that would throw a bucket of ice on her desire to be with him at that moment. It would give her more time to share her secret with him. It would definitely give her a lot to think about. “You know I’m not human, but you don’t know what I am.”
“I don’t care,” she replied quickly, refusing to give it too much thought.
Taking a deep breath, he pulled her into his arms and nuzzled his chin in her hair. “What if I tell you I’ve kept what I am a secret from you because the truth would terrify you?”
“Is it more alarming than seeing you turn into a dragon? I honestly believe I could never fear you for what you are or what you are not.” She tilted her head to look up him. “I know you’re good at heart.”
Releasing a sigh, he feared the worst and hoped for the best. He knew telling her wouldn’t be enough. She wouldn’t truly believe he was a demon unless he showed her. Taking her hand he led her toward the bed. Then, sitting down on the mattress, he pulled her onto his lap and cradled her in his arms. “I’m going to show you.” He kissed the top of her head, as he summonsed the power within him to come forth.
A chilly breeze drifted into the room as a black, glittery mist surrounded them.
Nervous, she looked up him. “You don’t need to do this. I know you’re not human. It doesn’t matter to me.”
He cradled her head against his chest. “Close your eyes, little love.” He merged with her, but rather than enter her mind he brought her into his and showed her many of the things he’d hidden from her.
She felt his presence with her, studying her reaction to the discoveries she was making, but he remained silent, allowing her to sort through and absorb the information, one moment at time, at her own pace.
Eventually, she panicked. She didn’t want to see anymore. She didn’t want to know what he was. It didn’t matter to her. She struggled to pull her mind from his.
Don’t be afraid, little love. With very little effort, he held her mind captive. You must see it to know the truth.
Yielding to him, she took a deep breath and released a sigh as he brought her into a space of utter darkness.
A wave of dizziness struck her hard. She felt as if she were alone and floating through time and space. Fear slammed into her heart, and it raced so frantically she was certain it would burst. She felt a need to run away to escape the truth.
He placed his hand over her heart. You’re not alone. I’m with you. You must know the truth, and you must not fear it. Heat flowed from his hand and penetrated her heart, forcing it to recover before it stopped. You’re always safe with me. I love you, Caylee.
He took her through the many years of his existence, showing her many of the wars he’d fought. He went so far as to take her through a few of the terribly gruesome bloody battlefields he’d left in his wake. He wanted her aware of the violence and brutality he was capable of committing. When he took her last breath and replaced it with his immortal breath, she would see and feel it. Showing her now would lessen the shock. If she survived, she needed to believe he would never harm her no matter what was happening. He wanted her to feel his lack of remorse when he destroyed the creatures that threatened his kind and mankind. He showed her the limitless dark powers that filled him and aided him. He was a powerful demon, created for war, nearly indestructible. He was a force of darkness, dangerous and deadly.
Once again Caylee felt the nauseating sensation of moving through time and space. She clung to him, afraid of being swept away and lost forever. Regardless of how he saw himself, she knew he was good at heart. He showed her the worst of himself, but all she saw was the best. On many occasions, far too many to count, he’d risked his eternal soul to protect helpless strangers. How could she ever doubt her safety with him? She was no stranger to him. He loved her deeply, completely. How much more would he give to protect her?
When the sensation of moving stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up at him. He was staring down at her, tears pooling in his eyes, obviously expecting her to reject him for what he was. “How old are you. Haden?”
“Over nine hundred years.”
She wiggled out of his arms and stood up. “Really?” She took a few steps away from him and then turned to face him. “You hide it very well.”
He looked guilty. He was hiding something. Grinning, she tilted her head to the side. “How many more than nine hundred?”
Lowering his brow, he frowned. “A few hundred more.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “How many?”
“A thousand.”
“Holy smokes, you’re nineteen hundred years old?”
He nodded. “Give or take a few years.”
“Wow. You’re an incredibly old man, Haden.” Grinning, biting her lower lip, she took a step toward him. “But you’re not evil.”
“I’m a demon.”
“I know.” She nodded once. “That’s why I’m getting a big spray bottle to fill with extra blessed holy water as soon as possible.”
“Interesting.” Tilting his head to the side, he smiled at her. “What are you planning to do with it?”
“Squirt you whenever you try to tell me what to do.” She narrowed her gaze on his. “Think of it as a tough love training tool.”
He was struggling to keep from laughing. He wasn’t prepared for her to accept it so quickly, so easily. But she was so accepting of it she was teasing him. Making fun of him. Of course, teasing or not, he had no doubt she intended to use the holy water on him in the very near future. He didn’t have the heart to tell her it wouldn’t have an
y effect on him. Water was water. Holy water was just another invention designed by mankind to make them feel more powerful. For some it was a tool used to alleviate their fear of the mysterious unknown. But in truth, it was only water.
“I’ve always known you’re not a human. It was confirmed when you turned into a dragon. You’ve mucked around in my head enough to know that.” She grinned. “You should also know it has never mattered to me. You’ve protected me. You’ve risked your life for mine. I love you, Haden. I want to make love with you.”
He stood up. “No.” His reply shocked him. What was he doing? He realized at that moment he didn’t believe she could truly love him because of his failure to protect her. It was shocking to think that perhaps his insecurities rather than hers had prevented him from giving her immortality. But there was definitely some truth in it. He’d never suffered from a lack of self-worth. It was something he would definitely take a look at in the near future.
Reaching up, she framed his face with her hands. “Do you think I do not know what I want? There are things about you that startle me, but I’m not afraid of you. Am I wrong to believe you would never hurt me?”
“I am what I am.”
“And?”
“I can kill anyone with a thought.”
Looking far too serious, frowning and chewing on her bottom lip, she remained silent for several moments. “You’re right.” Grinning mischievously, she shrugged. “You are what you are.”
He should’ve been pleased, but he wasn’t. “You agree with me?”
“Of course.” She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “You could think me dead at any moment.”
His blood pressure skyrocketed. “I wouldn’t.”
She laughed so hard her eyes started to water. “Oh Haden.” Her face turned bright red as she struggled to catch her breath.
Tilting his head to the side, he studied her for a moment. He was appalled. He couldn’t believe she was laughing at him over such a serious matter.
Her sides ached. She tried, but couldn’t stop laughing. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she bent over, struggling to catch her breath.
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