Yes. It was official. He was now her favorite person in the world.
“Good so far,” she said, replying to the movie question. She eyed the bar of Cadbury’s finest.
Dark eyes twinkling, he smiled at her. “I come bearing cinematic gifts.”
Leaning forward, Evelyn plunked her popcorn bowl on the coffee table. Stopping alongside her, he handed her the jar and the bar. With a hum of gratefulness, she accepted both. Cracking the package open, she dipped her treat in the peanut butter and took a bite.
She moaned in delight. “You’re a god.”
Daimler grinned. “Would that it were so.”
Raising her hand, she pretended to wave the chocolate like a magic wand. “I anoint thee Master of the Universe.”
With a snort, he grabbed the blanket folded over the back of a chair and, skirting an end table, took up residency on the other end of the couch. She stared at him a moment, then returned to the movie. He was good company. Chatty without being intrusive. Cheerful without being annoying. Incredibly inquisitive too. He asked more questions than anyone had a right to, and yet, she hadn’t felt threatened once. She’d answered instead, watched him bake, munched on warm just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, and told him all about her old job. Explained business management and corporate structure, laid out investment strategies and wealth management tactics as well. Daimler never missed a beat, and she’d been grateful.
Talking about her field made her feel almost normal again.
And speaking of normal—something wasn’t quite right. Just a little bit off, odd in a way that defied description, but drew her tight just the same. Now her skin felt two sizes too small, as though she’d been stretched thin within seconds. A bad case of the shivers hit, raising goose bumps on her nape. Her gaze on the plasma screen, Evelyn frowned. Tilting her head, she struggled to control her reaction and—huh. Weird, but . . .
Sensation spiked, turning into prickles.
Pinpricks raced down her spine. Alarm closed in, engulfing her without warning. Tossing the quilt aside, Evelyn popped off the couch and onto her feet. As her bare soles settled on the hardwood floor, a signal morphed inside her head. Her heart paused mid-beat, then rebounded, keeping time as awareness thumped on her temples and fine-tuned her senses, making her hunt for the source.
She glanced toward the ceiling. “Do you feel that, Daimler?”
In a flap of movement, her new friend bounced to his feet. “I’ll make up some more beds.”
Evelyn blinked. Make up more beds? What the hell for? An excellent question. One she would’ve liked answered. But as Daimler hightailed it across the kitchen and disappeared from view to make beds for some unknown reason, the signal intensified. A buzz lit off, scraping the inside of her skull.
A bang sounded outside.
Pivoting toward the glass sliders, Evelyn stared out into the night. Nothing yet. No movement beyond the wide bank of windows. No reason for the violent thud. No one approaching the—
A blond guy became visible in the gloom.
Long legs pumping, he vaulted from the walkway, over three steps, and landed on the stone patio. The loud thump echoed, competing with the surround-sound system. Surprise struck, gluing her feet to the floor. The blond didn’t break stride. Moving like a freight train, he ran toward the door. A second before he reached it, glass sliders slid open all by themselves. Cold air rushed over the threshold. Flurries swirled in its wake, blasting into the living room. Awareness hit along with the chill. She tensed. Oh, boy. Watch out. Not even close to good. The guy might be nice looking, but the vibe he wore screamed lethal.
Boots pounding, he sprinted into the room.
Evelyn flinched and took a step backward.
His head snapped in her direction. He paused mid-stride and slid to a stop in front of the TV. Pale eyes the color of ice chips met hers. “Evelyn?”
Inching backward, she nodded. “Yes?”
“I’m Rikar, a friend of Venom’s.” The intensity of his tone put her on edge. “We’ve got a bit of a situation, and I need you to—”
A snarl drifted in through the open doors.
Evelyn stared out into the night. Her gaze skipped over the terrace, then beyond to search the high hedges. The ominous growl came again. Nasty. Brutal. A sound with bite and even more danger embedded in it. And yet, she recognized the tenor. Had heard it before while making love with Venom. When she’d moaned and pleaded, begging him for the pleasure while he moved deep inside her, a snarl just like that had come from his throat.
“Where is he?” Focus on the outdoor patio, Evelyn stopped retreating. Hitting the forward button on her brain, she skirted the coffee table and headed for the door. She knew what the signal meant now. The hum in her veins cranked her tight, clued her in, making instinct and intuition collide. Venom was out there . . . somewhere. Hurt? Maybe. Weak with fatigue? Certainly. Tapped in now, she could feel him struggling to get his feet underneath him. Her gaze narrowed on Rikar. “What happened?”
Raising his arms, Rikar blocked her path to the door. “Listen, I need to—”
“Move.” Her pissy tone struck like an open palm.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Evelyn. Hold on a second. I need to explain—”
“Get out of my way,” she said, slipping between two chairs to get around him. She needed to reach Venom now. She knew it. Sensed it. Felt the urgency building inside her with every breath she took. It didn’t matter that she didn’t understand what she was feeling or why. Only one thing mattered. “He needs me.”
“He does.” Dancing the dance, Rikar kept himself between her and the door, pissing her off. Making her wish she’d learned to be a linebacker so she could turf his ass and be on her way. “Listen carefully, Evelyn. When he touches you, I want you to control the flow.”
She paused mid-step. “Excuse me?”
“Venom needs to feed, and you must control the flow of energy. Feed him a little at a time. Calm him down. Control the flow. Understand?”
No, she didn’t understand. The guy wasn’t making any sense. Par for the course, she knew. Dragonkind equaled confusing on a grand scale. Even after spending all day talking with Venom about his kind, she struggled to understand the ins and outs—all the differences between his race and hers. But as a dark-haired man helped Venom mount the steps, all that fell away. Concern struck instead. Her heart clenched. God, he looked so pale. So tired—beyond exhausted—as his friend half-carried, half-walked him across the patio.
Gaze glued to Venom, worry out in full force, she tried to sidestep Rikar again.
He shook his head. “Let Bastian get him inside.”
She growled at him. Rikar’s mouth curved, but he refused to move. So she waited, fingers flexing, breath rasping in her throat, almost coming out of her skin as Venom raised his head. His gaze met hers. He whispered her name. Tears filled her eyes. Come on. Come on. Cross the threshold, her mind screamed. The second that happened, she knew Rikar would move aside. The shift would release her, free her to do what she wanted and . . .
Touch Venom.
With a grunt, Bastian hauled him into the house.
The sliding glass doors closed with a hiss.
Rikar retreated, shifting to one side to get out of her way.
Not wasting a second, Evelyn leapt into action. Bare feet flying, she bridged the distance and slid to a stop in front of him. Venom bared his teeth on another snarl. His ruby-red eyes started to glow. She didn’t care. Wrapping him up, she hugged him close. No rhyme or reason. No proof or even a hint of logic. And yet, she knew what he needed—her skin against his. Instinct showed her the way. Caring pushed her hard against him. Necessity shoved her hands beneath the hem of his T-shirt.
Her palms touched his back.
Venom arched, reacting like he’d been struck by lightning, and came alive in her arms. Hard muscl
es flexed around her. One hand gripping her nape, he yanked at her sweatshirt. The hem rose. Cool air washed over her stomach. Dipping his head, he pressed his mouth to her temple and his other palm to the small of her back. Electricity sparked beneath the surface of her skin. Heat streamed through her body. Desire moved through her veins. A snick echoed inside her head, opening a fissure somewhere deep inside her. Luscious and thick, high current rushed through the gap, moving from her into him.
With a moan, Venom’s mouth jumped to her throat.
His teeth grazed her neck. Bliss bloomed, burning through her as he flicked her with his tongue. Settling in, he suckled her skin, drawing hard on her pulse point. Ecstasy careened out of control, bursting through the crack, widening the seam, making her spine bow under the pressure.
Her heart stalled mid-beat.
Fighting for breath, Evelyn gasped in shock.
Venom groaned in delight. The pressure increased, making her head spin.
“Fuck,” someone said.
“Concentrate. Control it, Evelyn. Slow him down.”
Edged by command, the deep voice reached through the mind-fog. Evelyn blinked, understanding now. Control the flow. She felt the burn. The hard rush of a rising current. The overwhelming stream as energy flowed from her into Venom. He was feeding, taking from her in order to sustain himself . . . renewing his strength by stealing hers. The idea should’ve alarmed her. It intrigued her instead. Despite the pressure, she liked him like this—out of control, needy, completely focused on her. Evelyn swallowed a moan. The intensity was incredible. Beautiful. Addictive. Pleasure-pain in the burn of physical chaos. Mind-numbing arousal and the promise of sexual release.
But only if she controlled it.
Rikar was right. She needed to tame Venom and control the flow. He was too hungry. Being too greedy, losing himself in the taste and feel of her. Concentrate. The word whiplashed inside her head, waking neural pathways. Clarity poured like water from a pitcher, filling her full, giving her strength, allowing her to turn inward. Closing her eyes, she tapped into the current and grabbed it by the tail. She bent it end over end, turned the tap, slowed the flow, making him jerk against her.
Fighting the slower pace, he snarled against her skin.
Fisting her hands in his hair, she locked him down, feeding him small sips instead of frantic swallows. He shook his head. With a gentle tug, she pulled him away from her throat. He fought the separation. Tightening her grip, she insisted. His chin came up. She invaded his mouth, licking between his teeth, kissing him deep to calm him down. Little by little, he obeyed and opened his mouth wider, welcoming each caress, respecting her pace as she gave him what he needed. High-voltage current downgraded, moving from dangerous to delicious.
She gentled the kiss.
He sighed against her mouth. “Thought you weren’t going to kiss me anymore.”
“I lied,” she whispered between kisses, continuing to feed him.
“Thank God,” he murmured, swaying on his feet.
She caught him mid-wobble. His friends did the rest, helping her walk Venom across the room. He stumbled over his feet. Rikar and Bastian steadied him. She continued to kiss and caress him, never breaking contact, enticing him with her taste, making him follow her retreat. Out of the living room. Past the kitchen island. One left turn and a length of corridor later, she stood with him inside a bedroom.
Rikar closed the door, leaving her alone with Venom.
Running her hands over his shoulders, she walked him across the room. The back of his legs bumped the side of the mattress.
His eyes drifted closed. He sagged in her arms. “I’m so tired, Evie.”
“I know.” Kissing him one last time, Evelyn laid him down and stripped him bare, leaving his damp clothes in a heap on the floor. “You need to sleep now.”
“You’ll stay?”
“Yes.”
“Kiss me again?” he asked with a sleepy murmur.
Ditching her pajamas, she slid in next to him. The mattress sighed beneath her. Cool cotton brushed against her side as she settled next to him. Bliss whispered her name. Evelyn hummed. Oh, boy. Total body contact—skin on skin, all of her pressed up against all of him—the absolute best. On the verge of slumber, Venom curled his arm around her, tucked her closer, and turned his face into her hair. Her heart hitched, kicking the inside of her breastbone as she did as he asked and leaned in to kiss him again.
A soft touch. A small taste. A hint of explosive passion.
“I love you, Evie.” Muscles lax, eyes closed, he sighed. The sleepy sound drifted through the quiet, hanging like a promise in warm air. “I love you.”
Her chest went tight. She blinked in astonishment and glanced at his face. Fast asleep now, he remained oblivious to her reaction. I love you, Evie. The words slammed into her temples, then resonated, finding a place in her heart so fast Evelyn flinched. Good lord, she hadn’t expected him to say that. Staring at his gorgeous face, she frowned. Had she heard that right? Did he even know what he’d said? Or was it just . . . just . . .
A lie.
An easy out brought on by fatigue. And the fact she’d fed him.
Good question.
Ruinous results—a pox upon her heart, a threat to her future, devastation times a thousand—if he didn’t mean it. An outcome firmly entrenched in the realm of possibility. Which meant she should probably leave now. Make a break for it and save her pride. But as dawn arrived, she held him close instead of turning away. Damned herself by nestling in and closing her eyes. Wrecked all chance of escape—and a clean getaway—by settling into sleep with Venom in her arms, all while praying she wasn’t making a huge mistake. One that would force her to leave in the morning. Run hard, hide fast, and never look back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Holed up in bed, surrounded by quiet and the stillness of his room, Venom lay on his side, watching Evelyn sleep. Gaze locked on her, he roamed her face, memorizing every facet, refusing to miss even the tiniest detail. The thickness of her eyelashes. The fullness of her mouth. The gorgeous hue of her skin. The beauty of the loose inky curls falling to her bare shoulder. All things he’d taken note of before. Hard to miss given that his attention remained riveted on her whenever she was in the same room.
Today, though, brought a multitude of new surprises.
With her eyes closed, he noticed others things. Details he’d missed with her smart mouth and saucy attitude distracting him. The small freckle sitting beneath the curve of her bottom lip. The tiny scar marring the underside of her chin. The way one of her eyebrows curved up a little more than the other in the center. Insignificant details on their own; all Evelyn when put together to create a whole.
God. She was precious.
Beautiful in slumber. So warm and sweet next to him. So trusting and soft in his arms. Gratefulness made a home inside his heart, rousing thick emotion. His throat went tight. Venom battled a moment, fighting to stay even, forcing himself to remain on track. But it was hard. He’d dreamed of this day. Of waking up next to his mate. Of having a female to call his own. Now, the promise of it sat within reach. Just inches away. One question from becoming a reality. All he needed now was for Evelyn to agree.
By no means an easy feat. Or a done deal.
Particularly since he couldn’t remember what had happened last night.
He frowned. Well, at least, not all of it. Which amounted to a big problem. No way he wanted to wake Evelyn—never mind ask her the all-important question—without knowing what the hell he’d done to her last night. She wasn’t hurt. He could see that, but, well . . . he needed a baseline. A jumping-off point to guide him when he started the conversation.
Forcing his brain out of neutral, he stared at the wall above her head. Recall murmured, pointing him in the right direction. He remembered the water tank and the explosion, Bastian flying him home as wel
l. After that? His brow furrowed. Shit. He didn’t know. Digging deep, he pushed harder, reaching for the memory. An image of Evelyn dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt rose in his mind’s eye.
His gaze strayed to her mouth.
Yes. Definitely. He remembered kissing her. Or rather, Evelyn invading his mouth, tasting him deep, taking control. Wonder washed in on a wave of surprise. He drew a soft breath. Thank God. She wasn’t angry, which meant . . . time to wake her up. He ran his gaze over her face again. Man, he almost hated to do it. She looked so peaceful in slumber. Like a content kitten curled up next to him. Venom debated a second, then shook his head. Stalling wouldn’t solve the problem. Or elevate his growing tension. He needed to talk. He wanted to know. And the only one who could tell him what he longed to hear was fast asleep beside him.
Raising his hand, he pushed a stray curl away from her temple. She stirred. He continued to caress her. Gentle touches. Soft strokes. A quiet murmur. Enthralled by the feel of her, he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, traced the tiny freckle, then turned his hand and cupped her cheek. “Evie . . . mazleiha, wake up.”
She sighed, the sound more hum than exhale. Her eyelashes flickered, then rose. Sleepy brown eyes met his. Her mouth curved, making his heart jack-rabbit inside his chest. As the thump-thump-boom got going, she stretched, undulating beneath the sheet, making another part of his anatomy throb. Rock hard for her now, Venom clung to self-restraint and issued a mental order, telling his prick to hold-the-hell-on and get-the-hell-in-line.
“Hi,” she said, with a husky murmur.
“Hey back.”
She blinked, trying to wake up. “What time is it?”
Her tone made him shiver. His body hit the gas, roaring at full speed into dangerous I-want-her territory. Venom swallowed a curse. Holy God. She had the sexiest bedroom voice he’d ever heard. “Late. Mid-afternoon.”
“Oh. Wow. Guess I’ve been sleeping awhile.” Less than a foot away, she stretched beneath the sheet one more time. Muscles across his abdomen twitched, tugging at his hip bones. She settled quick, curling on her side to face him. “How long have you been up?”
Fury of Obsession (Dragonfury Series Book 5) Page 34