by Calista Fox
* * * * *
Darien’s shoulders tensed. “There’s an old saying about flirting with disaster.”
“Or walking a fine line. Skating on thin ice.” She shrugged. “I know how to heed a warning, trust me. But this…”
Her gaze swept over him, admiring his sheer masculinity. Thoughts of making love with him in their dream, and then of him holding her so carefully she’d found a measure of tranquility in her otherwise besieged mind as she tried to heal made her nearly blind to the red flags.
She set the book aside and stood. Turning off the faucets, she said, “You’ll need the water pressure for your shower.”
Then she crossed to where he remained rooted, his eyes locked with hers. The cords of his thick neck drew taut and his jaw set. Her nearness did things to him, she could tell. She evoked physical responses within him as easily as he did within her. Emotional ones, as well?
By the flash of need in his eyes, she guessed so.
“But this…what?” he asked.
Mere inches from him, she gazed up at his devastatingly handsome face. He might not be a divine creation, but he was heavenly perfection.
“This attraction between us,” she said. “It’s risky, yes. But undeniable.”
Her healed palm splayed over the left portion of his pectorals. His skin was warm and smooth. Touching him so intimately sent a thrill along her spine. His large hand closed over hers, holding it against his chest. Reaching for her with his other hand, he eased her toward him.
“We’re certainly not doing ourselves any favors,” he told her.
“I can’t help it,” she said on a breathy whisper. “It’s more than just the fantasy we shared. It’s…everything. The way you look at me, the way you touch me. The way you try so hard not to upset my apple cart.”
He grinned. “You do know your antiquated sayings.”
“I like history. Maybe because my present has lacked luster, and the future doesn’t hold much potential either.”
He pulled in a long breath, then let it out slowly. Staring deep into her eyes, he asked, “What would you change? Aside from bringing back your parents, because I can’t do that. What one thing do you wish for?”
Her heart suddenly felt as though a large fist squeezed it tight. With a slight shake of her head, she said, “Nothing. I don’t believe in wishes.”
“Not even on your birthday?”
“Especially then. I stopped celebrating when I was eleven, the year my parents were mur—” She sucked in a breath. “The year they died.”
Of course, the irony and hypocrisy of being drawn to someone who belonged to the demon world from which the shifters who’d slaughtered her family derived did not escape her. Nor was she inclined to taint the moment or offend him after he’d rescued her and had done so much to help her recover.
Continuing, she said, “It took some time to convince Michael and Lisette to forget my birth date as well. It’s just another day, with one more year behind me. I enjoy history, yes. But not mine.”
He lifted her hand, bringing it to his mouth. His lips brushed over her fingers. “Do you know one of the things I admire most about you?”
Her eyes narrowed on him, her expression no doubt reflecting her confusion. “No. In fact, I haven’t the slightest idea what draws you to me.”
“Everything,” he said in a low voice, echoing her sentiment. “But beyond your beauty and your strength and even your pain, I’m somehow fixated on your candor. You never let me forget I’m a demon…or what I’ve done to the human world.”
She stepped away from him. He let her go. Her pulse raced as her confusion melded into a darker warning. “I’m not trying to be blatantly disrespectful. I’m merely stating facts that can’t be disputed.”
Perhaps now was the time to address the obvious.
“Shifters murdered my parents,” she said. “Demons altered the face of this planet. I don’t care that I can’t use Lisette’s blow dryer. What I care about is people. Like Michael and…Jinx.”
He nodded. “I’m not being accusatory. I’m being humble. I have many, many regrets, Jade.”
Searching his mesmerizing eyes, she found he was being earnest. “What kind of regrets?”
“I never wanted to be king. I never wanted the wars. I never wanted to almost obliterate the human race.”
She drew in a sharp breath. “But the wars were executed by your command.”
“Yes. Though that doesn’t mean I was ever in agreement with the politics. Or the destruction.”
Covering her mouth with her hand, she stared at him. Then shook her head. Finally, her hand fell away and she said, “The pacts you make for demon-human peace—you…” Her brow furrowed as she fought for the right words. “You don’t despise us.”
He looked taken aback. “No. Never. Like every other war in history, it was simply about power. The shift from human rule to demon in this case. It should never have gone as far as it did, but that happens in battle.”
A tear formed in her eye and sat precariously on the rim. “You really did feel bad about Jinx, didn’t you?”
He nodded.
She sighed. A shaky one. The fat drop rolled down her cheek. “I wanted to believe you cared enough to be remorseful on behalf of your alliance.”
“I did,” he said with sincerity in his voice. “I do. But, Jade. I am still king. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything, but it does mean…I have obligations. Responsibilities. A position of power to uphold. All of these things might challenge my personal convictions, but the overarching issue is that I made a commitment to my species. I might not have done it wholeheartedly, but I did do it willingly.”
And here she’d thought her existence was a tumultuous one. Closing the gap between them, she trailed her fingers over his temple and down to his jaw. “You’ve let me be so glib about what it’s like to be a demon or a king. Why?”
His fingers twined with hers and he kissed them again. “You are anything but glib. You’re as entangled in this insidious situation as I am. I just have more control than you do. Though…no more at stake than you.”
Something inside her shifted upon hearing those words from this man. She said, “I’ve questioned my place in the village. My authority, actually—because clearly, I possess some. People have always looked to me for guidance when they’re unsure of the slayers’ direction. But I’m not their leader. Nor do I want to be.”
With a nod, he said, “This is a horrifically asinine and selfish thing for me to say, but I don’t want you to be either. The slayers are in mortal danger every day of their lives because of rogue demons like the fire wraith that attacked you. I can’t even conceive of you being in such a position on a daily basis. It’s difficult enough with this one instance.”
His head dipped and he kissed her. Passionately. As though the thought of anything dire happening to her compelled him to express how deeply attracted he was to her. Possibly even how moved he was by her.
Jade wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew the trouble she invited into her life by giving in to her desire for him, but it was too overwhelming a feeling for her to walk away from.
His kisses in real life were even more scorching-hot than in the fantasy they’d shared. His tongue swept over hers, twisting and tangling in an erotic dance. One of his arms encircled her waist, hauling her up against his hunky body, sealing them together. His other hand cupped the back of her head as his tongue delved deep, intensifying the blazing liplock.
Jade felt the effects of his passion all the way to her toes—and particularly in the most sensitive parts of her body. An ache in her cunt pulsed in time with her raging heartbeats. Her nipples tightened and her chest rose and fell quickly. As with her pain, she acutely felt pleasure.
But these were sensations she wanted to give in to. To bask in. Drown in.
When they finally came up for air, she was light of head and unsteady on her feet.
He let out a low groan. “I won’t be sticking t
o any convictions about you with kisses like that.”
“I’d told myself long ago they didn’t exist.”
“Clearly, you were wrong.”
She smiled, delirium seeping through her veins. “Clearly.”
His jaw clenched briefly. “I want to see you, Jade. All of you.”
A modicum of self-consciousness skittered through her, chasing away the delirium. Here she stood before a gorgeous, mammoth of a man, with no flaws in sight, other than his internal scars. She hadn’t been naked in front of another person since she was eighteen. And even then, she and Michael had been shrouded by bedcovers.
She couldn’t help but wonder about the female forms in Darien’s past. Even Sheena was picture-perfect. Did he find her alluring?
“No.”
Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “Stop reading my thoughts.”
“Easy pickings this time. I could see the doubt in your eyes.”
“Have you…” Her hand whimsically gestured toward the door. “With Sheena? Or Jocelyn?”
He let out a hearty laugh, cutting the previous edginess that had set in as they’d discussed their precarious predicaments. “Absolutely not. Both are in my service and I wouldn’t take advantage of that relationship. But beyond that…I don’t find either one as appealing as I do you. Besides, Sheena sticks to her kind.”
A point that did not fall on deaf ears. “That’s a good practice, I suppose.”
He nodded, yet he didn’t relinquish his hold on her. “The path we’re traveling is much more convoluted. But difficult to step off of.”
She knew she’d be false to insist otherwise. So she boldly said, “The slayers will come for me soon. I heard you tell Morgan to alert them you’d brought me to the castle to recover. We don’t have much time together.”
Fire lit his eyes. “And every moment wasted is one we won’t reclaim.”
Her need for him had turned into such a consuming, living, breathing entity she found it impossible to ignore the desire gripping her very soul. She wiggled out of his loose embrace and pulled her top over her head before letting the garment drop to the marble floor. Anxiety didn’t stand a chance of sneaking up on her as Darien gazed at her, lust and longing in his eyes.
She slipped out of her drawstring pants and stood before him in nothing but her bra and panties. They were as simple and functional as could be, and yet his irises darkened and his breath caught. Spurred on by his reaction to her, she discarded the lingerie.
A deeper emotion flashed in his earnest expression. He said, “You are stunning.”
His fingertips grazed her cheek, over her jaw and down her neck. He trailed along her collarbone, then swept back to the hollow of her throat. From there, the pads of his fingers brushed against her skin as they moved slowly downward to the valley between her breasts, now heavy with desire.
Jade reveled in the appreciative look he gave her. At the moment, it didn’t register in her mind that he was a king. Or that he was immortal, obviously elite amongst his kind. What she saw before her was a man. One of flesh and blood and bone. One with a moral conscience. One with physical wants and needs that mirrored her own. One who did not judge her, find fault with her or consider her weak.
She would never live up to the high regard in which his expression suggested he held her, yet at the same time, she had no inclination to give in to human insecurities. Somehow, they’d found themselves in a scenario where the outside world and the severe differences between them ceased to exist. If only for an evening…
Jade reached for the fastenings on his leather pants and undid them. He toed off his boots and she finished undressing him. Then she stood back and admired him, her pulse spiking, her breathing escalating. He was more than magnificently built. He was a gift to be treasured.
He turned the water on and then took her by the hand, leading her into the large, walk-in shower. The metal sheet with hammered holes hanging overhead created a rainfall effect that was sensuous and inviting. The glimmer of candlelight against the glass portion of the marble shower wall cast shadows and light that lent a seductive mood to the private haven. Warm water sluiced down her body, and it not only felt cleansing and refreshing but wildly titillating.
Darien ran his hands through her wet hair and asked, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”
“Much better,” she said. “I pulled through quicker than I’d expected, thanks in large part to you, Morgan and Sheena.” Stepping closer to him, she placed her palms over his abdomen and said, “Mostly you.” Stretching on tiptoe, she brushed her lips against his. He bent his head and kissed her deeply. Then she moved away and inspected the various jars and soaps lined neatly along a built-in shelf.
Selecting a mint-colored bar, she lathered up and then ran her hands over the wide chest of the brawny man who did everything to arouse her in every conceivable way simply by being himself.
“You have a physique meant to be sculpted and placed in a museum,” she told him.
“We don’t have museums anymore.”
“If we did,” she amended. Giving this further thought, she shook her head and said, “I’ve changed my mind. This body is not meant to be molded and admired in stone form.” Her soapy hands slid over the corrugated grooves of his stomach and she sighed. “It’s meant to be worshipped in person.”
“Don’t worship,” he said in a tight voice. “Just touch.”
She smiled at him. “I am touching.”
Her hands glided up to his broad shoulders, then down his rock-hard arms. When he reached for her, pulling her into a strong embrace, her palms slid around to his wide, sinewy back. Her breasts pressed below the well-defined ledge of his pectoral muscles, and her nipples tingled as his smooth skin and solid muscles teased the sensitive points.
His head bent to hers and he whispered in her ear, “I want you in ways you might not even know of.”A prickle along her clit made her squirm in his arms, her stomach rubbing against his erection. He groaned again. “Do you want me?”
“Yes.” She didn’t have to think twice about it. She might not possess his sexual prowess or know exactly the ways in which he wanted to take her, but she didn’t care. She’d easily and willingly give herself up to his every desire. But she also had cravings of her own. “Darien,” she muttered against his hair as her fingers threaded through the wet strands. “I want to give you pleasure.”
His arms tightened around her. “You do, Jade. More than you can possibly know.”
“No.” She shifted in his embrace, forcing him to release her. The water washed away the suds on his body, leaving a clean stream to cascade over his chiseled torso and legs. She sank to her knees before him, marveling at his long, thick cock.
“Jade.” His tone held a hint of urgency and a contradictory note of protest.
Her fingers skimmed over the smooth flesh covering his steel rod and his hips jerked in response. She bit back a smile. Piggybacking on his earlier sentiment, she told him, “I want you in ways I’ve never given much thought to. To touch you…taste you…” She licked her lips. “I want to know all of you.”
With that, her fingers wrapped gingerly around his base and her lips slid slowly along his slick skin until she reached the tip, where she teased the groove beneath his head with her tongue before flicking it over the slight indentation above.
He let out a primal and incredibly arousing growl. Her mouth closed over his head and his fingers plowed through her hair.
“Jade,” he repeated, his voice gruff with lust. “Careful.”
She didn’t want to be careful when it came to this. Instinctively, she knew when to be cautious and tentative. Innately, she also knew when to step beyond her boundaries. This was certainly one of those times.
As she took Darien deep into her mouth and he murmured something sharp and strangled she couldn’t catch, she felt a surge of feminine power she’d never experienced before, combined with a bond that was obviously intangible by nature, but which ribboned around her heart
nonetheless.
Her pussy ached for the fulfillment she knew she’d receive from the cock she pleasured, but her sole attention was on giving Darien something in return for all he’d given her. And because he was too delicious a treat to pass up.
He held her drenched strands of hair away from her face and the gentle flow of water from the rectangular showerhead caressed her forehead and cheeks, running along her neck and over her breasts. The scintillating sensations tempted her to ease a hand between her parted legs and work the knot of nerves that pounded erratically as excitement coursed through her. But she resisted. Her efforts remained on Darien.
She licked him again, eliciting a grunt from him. Then she cupped his balls with one hand and gently massaged them, not sure of the appropriate pressure to apply. Apparently, she hit the right degree, because he hissed out a breath and his fingers gripped her strands of hair.
When she covered his head with her mouth again, he bucked against her.
“Suck me hard.”
She did. His satisfied groan made her pussy throb sharply. She worked him with her tongue and her lips, driven by how he responded to her and how intensely she enjoyed the feel of him in her mouth and the reaction she evoked.
His voice was raspy as he said, “That’s enough.”
She would have begged to differ, but her mouth was full. The suctioning action she’d picked up rather quickly served her well, if the sudden trembling of his legs was any indication.
“I’m going to come,” he said the words in warning. Having read a few steamy romances herself from a time before hers, she had a very good idea of what to expect. And she didn’t back down. “Sweetheart.” Coming from him, the term of endearment sounded damn sexy.
She sucked him harder, worked him a bit faster, until his body tensed. Her own excitement elevated and she felt him reach the pinnacle. When he called out her name and his hips jerked again, she prepared herself for his explosive release.
“Damn it, Jade,” he ground out as he rode his climax.
Elation flooded her veins, tinged with a hint of triumph. She’d nearly brought the Demon King to his knees with her unskilled touch. He even needed to press a hand to the wall behind her to maintain his balance.