Hesitantly, he stepped forward. Perfect. She was having a mental breakdown. “Caylee?”
Fighting to pull herself together, she straightened up to meet his gaze. Within a few moments she was able to subdue her laughter, but she continued to giggle. Her hands trembled as she wiped her tears dry.
Mental breakdown or not, she was seriously irritating the hell out of him. “Damn it, Caylee, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” She pulled his shirt from his shoulders. “I’m finally not the one making excuses.”
She was right. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t respond. Holding his breath, he stared into her eyes.
“You love me, right?”
“Yes.” He nodded, squinting his eyes warily, fearing what she would say or do next.
Slowly, watching him watch her, she unbuttoned her shirt. She took it off and tossed it at his feet. Heart pounding, he made a deep growling sound, his dark gaze briefly jumping to hers before he lowered it to savor the sight of her perfect, round breasts. Next, she unbuttoned her jeans and slowly pulled them over her hips and down her legs. She stepped out of them and kicked them aside. “It’s the duty of a man to meet the needs of the woman he loves.” She flashed him a wickedly sexy smile and then turned her back to him. “I’ve needs you must not ignore any longer. Regardless of your excuses, my body is suffering.” Watching his reflection in the mirror, she waited.
He stepped closer, his body nearly touching hers, towering more than a foot over her. Looking up at him in the mirror, fear stabbed at her. He stood absolutely still, waiting for her to recover, fearing she might not. He knew she felt very small compared to him. And she was. His large, muscular frame was intimidating. He was stronger than her. He could easily overpower her. He could hurt her. She needed to believe he wouldn’t.
He watched as she took a deep, calming breath to clear her thoughts. He knew he would never use his strength against her, and eventually she would know it too. For the first time ever, he allowed his gaze to feast on her naked, flawless body as he waited for her to work through her fears. He couldn’t force her to trust him. It was up to her. But he needed to touch her. Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he gently drew her long hair to his face. He bent his head and inhaled deeply, savoring its sweet aroma and the silky texture of it against his flesh.
Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes, savoring the tantalizing heat of his hard body against her flesh. Every inch of her flesh tingled with delicious sensations. She felt so feverish. She felt restless. Empty. Wanting more. Needing him to touch her.
Breathing in the exhilarating scent of her arousal, his heart started to beat painfully. His hunger for her was ravenous. The atmosphere exploded. Lightning zigzagged across the sky, and thunder shook the house. The wind howled, and dark clouds billowed outside, turning daylight in to darkness. He caught her tiny waist and dragged her close, pressing her body against his as he leaned down and kissed her neck. “Open your eyes, little love.” Meeting her gaze in the mirror, he feathered kisses along her neck and shoulders.
She wanted him to stop, but she was terrified he would. Ashamed, she tried to look away from his dark gaze, but she couldn’t. Stark hunger burned in his gaze. A shiver ran down her spine. She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds as she watched his hot, sensual mouth move over her neck and shoulder.
“My every thought is of you, little love. You’re a treasured miracle to me. You belong to me. I belong to you. I will forever love, cherish, and protect you with all that I am.” He lightly feathered kisses from her ear, his tongue swirling over her flesh, filling her with his fiery passion. From behind, he pulled her into his arms and held her close, taking a moment to savor the warmth of her body against his.
Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. He smiled at her, but there was no hiding the agony in his eyes. She loved his smile. He had such a strong, masculine face, his warrior like features set in stone. Most of the time it was impossible to read his mood, but whenever he smiled at her like this, his harsh features softened, revealing the goodness of his heart. Perhaps it was wrong, but she secretly loved the misery so often apparent in his eyes when he smiled at her. Deep down, she’d known all along it was a symptom of his lust for her and his resolve to wait until she was ready.
He laughed softly. “It’s not wrong, little love. It’s good for you to know what you do to me. I do want you, but … oh, damn it.” He wanted to assure her there was still no rush, but he couldn’t lie to her while his erection pressed so snugly against the small of her back. “I really need to be inside your body.” His voice was a deep, lusty whisper. “I love you. Do now know that I love you?”
Her lips curved in small smile. She believed him, truly believed he loved her. But she knew his love would never last once he knew her secret. Her large eyes stared up at him, fiery tears spilling over. The thought of having his love only to lose it hurt her like nothing else could. “I know it.” There was catch in her voice.
He couldn’t bear the pain he felt in her. He lowered his head protectively over hers. “You will never lose my love.” He made the statement, despite knowing she wasn’t able to believe it just yet. One day she would know her place with him. Moving his hands slowly from her belly to her breasts, he caused her temperature to rise and her pulse to skyrocket. He unclasped the front of her bra and pulled it from her shoulders.
She was on fire, her body burning up with need. It was so exhilarating to be needed so thoroughly, so completely that nothing would ever satisfy him more than her. He cupped her breasts, causing her breaths come in short gasps. Knees weak, she leaned heavily against him. He gently massaged her breasts and teased her nipples, listening to her soft, husky moans, allowing the sound to hurl him into a massive, violent flood of desire.
Blazing kisses along her neck, he reached down and cupped the entrance of her body. He caressed her nipple with the thumb of one hand as he slipped the fingers of his other in her silk panties to rub her swollen clit. Her body was so sensitive. Too sensitive. She restlessly, seeking her own pleasure, rubbed her sex against his hand. He was so swollen and hard, throbbing and aching. It was the perfect torture, her eager response to his touch nearly causing him to burst in his pants.
She was so hot, dripping wet with desire. He’d waited for so long. His need was violent, brutal. He needed to slam into her, to take her hard and fast, but he knew better. She needed him to be gentle with her. His fingers, coated with her hot, silky essence, stroked her clit, shattering her body and mind. Her heart raced wildly as her breaths came in short gasps and soft moans. The pleasure of his touch was setting her ablaze, incinerating every shy inhibition, driving her insane. Nearly frantic, she moved against his hand, attempting to soothe her body’s wild, urgent need for more
In all of his existence he’d never even imagined a more desirable woman. She was so beautiful, flushed with need, eyes wide with wonder. Watching her reaction to his touch in the mirror, monitoring her thoughts, he leaned down near her ear. “I love you, Caylee.” Teasing her nipple, he stroked her hot, wet sex. “I really need to be inside your body.”
It happened all at once; the sensation of his touch, the sight of his hands on her body and the sound of his deep, lusty voice caused her body to detonate. A sudden and powerful surge of marvelous sensations raced through her entire body, striking her core with a vengeance and smoldering there for several mind-blowing seconds. Stroking her, taking her further, he brought her to a state of ecstasy she’d never known. Erupting, she cried out, her knees buckling, but he easily held her upright, her body firmly pressed against his cock, allowing her to experience several enormous waves of hot pleasure.
When she was able to stand on her own, he released her and stepped back to turn her around. But he stopped. How had he missed it before? He stared at a large bruise on the back of her shoulder. Shaking his head, he ran his fingertips along the bruise. A demon could only take so much. Sensing something was wrong, she looked up at his
reflection in the mirror. He looked furious. She felt his anger. Raw. Lethal. A terrible, icy chill of terror raced up her spine, causing her to shiver.
~ Eleven ~
THE ATMOSPHERE DARKENED. A frigid wind swept into the room. It would’ve knocked her off her feet if he weren’t holding her. Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart stopped. Turning her around, he stared into her eyes, forcing his way into her mind. There was nothing gentle about his intrusion; it created an excruciatingly sharp pain directly between her eyes.
Caylee clutched her head. “You’re hurting me, Haden” She intended to scold him for so brutally invading her mind, but she only managed to release a tiny whimper.
Haden saw everything. He saw Emmett attack her and shove her to the ground. He saw her cowering on the floor. It wasn’t the first time. Emmett had abused her many times. Haden felt her fear, and it ripped his heart right out of his chest.
Caylee trembled uncontrollably. She knew what Haden was seeing. She tried to back away from him, but her knees buckled.
With little effort, he held her tiny frame upright, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Emmett attacked you last night.” Haden’s voice was harsh, his gaze crueler and darker than ever before, as he held her in a grip that was too tight. “It will never happen again.” And it wouldn’t.
* * *
The wind picked up from out of nowhere, tossing debris in every direction. Dark, ominous clouds billowed above the bank, releasing torrential rain. The people on the street ran for cover. The sky turned pitch black seconds before vivid lightning erupted and thunder boomed.
Waiting in line for the next available teller, Emmett turned his head to look out the window as the lights flickered off and on a few times. Emmett felt something slam into his chest. The pain was unbearable. His heart felt like it was going to explode right out of his chest. He clutched his chest and fell to his knees.
The building shook violently; it felt like an earthquake. The lights went off and stayed off, and chaos broke out. The entire building, as if it was being ripped from its foundation, continued to shake. Pushing and shoving at each other, attempting to flee and find shelter, people were screaming.
The pain in Emmett’s chest was more intense than any other pain he’d ever experienced. He knew he was dying. It felt as if his heart were being crushed. He could literally feel fists gripping it, squeezing it. In the darkness he saw Haden approach in the form of the dragon. He blinked once, and the dragon was gone. Haden stood in its place.
Emmett tried to close his eyes to escape, but Haden’s cold, black gaze held his captive. He struggled for enough air to speak, frantically gripping at his throat, attempting to plead for his life.
* * *
Caylee’s mouth went dry, and her stomach clenched. Haden looked mad, mad enough to hit her. “You’re scaring me.” He was staring into her eyes, holding her too tightly, but she sensed he wasn’t really there with her. A few seconds went by, but it seemed like decades.
“I would never hit you.” Lifting her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze. “And you know it.” He took deep breath and released it with a heavy sigh, struggling to regain his composure, searching for the right words. “You blocked me from reaching you last night. You purposely prevented me from discovering you were being attacked. It’s entirely unacceptable.” Tilting his head to the side, he studied her for a moment. “You will never do it again, Caylee.” Realizing his grip was too tight, he released her. “You will never block me when you’re in danger.”
Taking a step back, she stared up at him for a moment. She turned away from him and was faced with her reflection in the mirror. She needed to get away from him. Seeing herself naked in the mirror, feeling the dampness between her thighs, suddenly made her feel uncomfortable and, even worse, ashamed. Reaching down she grabbed her shirt to cover up her body.
His heart broke, shattered into a million pieces, at the sight her trying to hide her body. In an instant he had destroyed her dignity. He was an idiot. Cursing beneath his breath, he took the shirt from her and tossed it onto the floor. “I’m sorry.” He gently, sending healing energy into it, placed his hand on her bruised shoulder. “I love you, Caylee. I can’t bear the thought of anyone laying a hand on you, harming you in any way. I have such a powerful, violent, driving need to protect you. It’s who I am, what I am. You’re everything precious to me. There’s nothing, no one I value more than you. You knew I would protect you, didn’t you? Why didn’t you call out to me?”
She started to take another step away from him, but then she stopped.
He moved nearer, unable to do anything else. He needed to touch her. Comfort her. Comfort himself.
Leaning her back against his much larger, muscular body, she took a deep breath and released it with a long sigh. “I only want to forget about last night, Haden.” Turning to face him, she looked up at him for a moment. Then, resting her head against chest, she listened to the strong, steady sound of his heart beating. She searched for the strength to walk away from him. It would’ve been for the best, but she couldn’t find it. Honestly, there wasn’t a part of her that truly wanted to find it. “Help me forget.”
Wrapping his powerful arms around her, holding her close, he lowered his head protectively over hers. From the beginning he’d failed to protect her. He’d turned his back on her. He’d left her alone and vulnerable. When he’d finally come to his senses and realized she was his life, he continued to neglect her. If he hadn’t allowed her to block him from her thoughts, he would’ve known Emmett was abusing her. It shouldn’t have happened. It would never happen again. He would never fail her again.
He held her back at arm’s length, allowing the heat of his gaze to explore every inch, every lush, feminine curve of her body. “You’re perfect in every way, little love. You’re the substance of my most cherished dream.”
She felt his gaze touching every inch of her flesh, slowly spreading over her. She was burning up, her heart pumping liquid fire through her veins; the hunger in his gaze was awakening greater passions in her. She felt his need, the aching, unrelenting intensity of it.
She slowing, devouring the sight of him, lowered her gaze. Then, nearly breathless at the sight of his arousal, she stood perfectly still. Even through his pants she studied the shocking evidence of his terrible need, the heavy, bulging heat of it, so swollen and on fire for her. She looked up at him, shyly biting her lower lip, her cheeks flushed.
Leaning down, he kissed her long and thoroughly. She trembled, her body eagerly anticipating more, as he parted her lips with his tongue.
He savored the sweet taste of her kiss, his passion violently crashing into hers, their needs erupting into a fierce firestorm of lust that burned through their bodies as he lowered her onto the bed.
She reveled in the exquisite sensation of his hands wandering, exploring every inch of her body. Her flesh was so soft, hot and satiny against his. Pushing her thighs apart, he lowered his body over hers, kissing her deeply. Suddenly, the weight of his body created a reminder of the past. Though gentle, Haden’s touch felt as if it was the touch of a violent assailant. Her body tensed to the point of pain, and her flesh turned cold and clammy, her lips rigid, completely void of desire.
Violence enveloped her. She was powerless, chained to a cold stone altar. Men mocked and threatened her. She was trapped. She couldn’t breathe. She was pinned down beneath the weight of a man, unable to move and unable to defend herself. She was suffocating. Her desperation grew. Her entire body ached. There was no escaping the inevitable. There was no reason to hope. Pain, agonizing, unthinkable pain was inflicted on every inch of her flesh. Fear far beyond understanding stole her breath. Her heart labored. Her body absorbed vengeful blow after blow. She prayed for death to deliver her from the brutality of violent, lustful hands all over her body and around her throat. Death was the only possible escape. Chains bruised and tore the flesh on her ankles and wrists, holding her captive. Her entire body ached and throbbed.
&nbs
p; Backing away, Haden looked down at her, his mind remaining deeply merged with hers. With a blank expression, she stared up at him. For the first time ever, he was able to study the entire memory. Despite knowing what had happened the night he found her, he had never been able to access detailed memories in her mind without causing her pain. Now, he saw faces of all of the men her father had sold her to. He would hunt each and every man down.
The pain was too much. It was too great. She needed it to end, but her assailants were far too powerful to fend off, and death lingered just out of reach. Left to die, she prayed for a miracle, she prayed for death to deliver her, but she knew death was no longer an option the moment Haden showed up. He was a stranger, but her heart and soul knew him, knew he would never permit her to die, knew he would never hurt or betray her. His resolve was unshakable.
Holding her close to his heart, allowing her to be soothed by its steady, strong rhythm, he healed her physical and emotional wounds. There was no mistaking he was powerful beyond human comprehension. For a man like him there was no hiding it. She knew then he wasn’t human, but it didn’t frighten her as it should have. He was so gentle. Caring. Kind. Being in his arms was like being in the arms of an angel. He spoke softly, his magical, healing voice a warm, loving embrace. He made her feel protected and loved. He made her feel joy. True, heartfelt joy. And even more surprising, he made her want to embrace life for first time since her birth.
Realizing she was allowing her mind to wander, she closed her eyes in an effort to censor her thoughts. In doing so while their minds were so deeply merged, she revealed to Haden how she was able to block him. For now on he would know the instant she tried to block him, and he would be able to get through it without hurting her.
He placed his hand over her heart. “You need to breathe, little love.” He forced his rage down, successfully keeping it from showing in his eyes. “You’re safe with me.” Revenge would come, but for her sake he needed to remain calm for the moment.
Eternal Breath of Darkness Page 16