by Kiersten Fay
As he pushed forward again, her hips pushed back. He made a sound of approval and gripped her waist.
A steady rhythm developed, and soon she was panting with fervor as he ground into her with increasing force. But it was wonderful, and with each thrust it seemed only to get better, until she forgot herself entirely, surrendering to the moment. She cried out as a wave of pleasure overcame her, bursting into a million pieces. Ethan groaned as his release came on the heel of hers. After a few heartbeats, he pulled out of her and they dragged themselves onto the bed.
She reached for something to cover herself.
“No, don’t,” he said, and she paused. “May I look at you a little longer?” He shifted to his side, his head propped on his palm, shamelessly drinking her in.
She chewed her lip, feeling a bit skittish. Her fangs had yet to recede, and she felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with her lack of clothing. “Only because you asked so nicely.”
“Oh, I get really nice after sex.”
She bit back a grin. “Is that so?”
“Damn near saintly.”
She snorted and leaned back on the mattress. Her body was both relaxed and deliciously sore. After a moment, she had to concede, “That was so much better than before.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Was he really not worried about her claiming him? She supposed that was why he had taken her from behind, so her fangs were nowhere near him. Not for the first time, she was amazed at how knowledgeable he was about her culture. “How do you know so much about demons?”
He shrugged. “I spent some time with a group of renegade demons before I met up with the Denaloids. They found me amusing.”
She arched a brow. Coming across other demons was a rare occurrence. “Do you know where they are?”
He frowned at her. “No. We separated long ago.”
“Are you able to contact them?”
“We didn’t exactly promise to keep in touch upon parting.”
Damn. Any extra help would have been welcome.
“Eager for your own kind?”
From his tone, she couldn’t decipher his mood. “Well, sure, but I was thinking to recruit them.”
He took a moment to respond. “I have a few channels of communication that may reach them. I can attempt a message. No guarantees.”
“By channels, you mean network of pirates.” Though she hadn’t meant for it to, her voice revealed her disgust.
His lips thinned. “Indeed. Now I’ve answered your question, perhaps you will answer mine.”
She waited.
“What do you have against pirates?”
Silence reigned.
“Were you harmed in some way by one?”
She wasn’t ready to delve into that particular topic, still struggling with the idea that she had let a man like Ethan touch her in ways no one else had. She was still reeling from it, her body thrumming with aftershocks. She didn’t want to think about his past—or hers, for that matter—but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Briefly, she wondered if Ethan had killed with the same cold carelessness as other pirates would. Had he ripped apart families with a swing of his sword and a smile on his face?
Suddenly weary, she rolled off the bed. “I need to wash up.” She paused. “You should too, before you leave. Unless you think you could fend off my rabid brothers.”
He gave her a questioning look.
“My scent is all over you,” she explained.
His lips curled into a sexy grin. “Then by all means, let’s wash up.”
Chapter 21
Sonya stepped under the warm spray of water, a little unnerved. She’d never bathed with anyone before and her lack of confidence in this area irritated her. But Ethan seemed to be having fun teaching her, and damn if she didn’t like it too.
As her hair became drenched by the water sliding down her body, he proceeded to lather her heated skin. Slick palms rubbed over every inch of her torso with slow intent. Her head lolled from the attention as a part of her worried how intimate this felt. This wasn’t just animal need being sated, this was…sweet.
Thankfully he’d let the subject of her past drop without argument. Although, she doubted he’d resigned to leave it be altogether. She’d known him for only a short time, but already she could tell he wasn’t the kind of male who gave up on anything he set his mind to. And the more she resisted, the more his curiosity would burn.
Part of her wanted to confide in him, as if revealing the truth might help to eliminate the anger and guilt that accompanied her everywhere she went. She mentally scoffed, knowing it wouldn’t change a thing.
Even if she offered Ethan a hint of the cruelty she’d witness—performed by individuals he might have called brother in arms, had he known them—she had to wonder: would he have joined in their merriment as they’d gouged the life from her father with their swords and knives?
Something in her rejected the possibility, but she wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was the way his fingertips caressed the length spine. His lovemaking had been equally sweet, even after he had taken what he wanted from her.
She lowered her eyes to his chest to watch the beads of water race over his smooth, well-defined muscles, hoping he wouldn’t see the conflict residing within.
He stilled, then placed his forefinger under her chin to gently tilt her head up. She schooled her features as best she could, but her betraying lips pursed together as if to hold back a flood of confession.
Studiously, he searched her gaze, concern leaking into his expression.
Was she really that obvious?
No matter. There was a single, heart-wrenching reason why she couldn’t tell him of the most devastating night of her life, only realizing it now as she lost herself in the deep serene oceans of his eyes.
She wouldn’t be able to handle if he turned uncaring or merely shrugged at her plight. He was a pirate, after all. And as he’d stated before, he already thought her culture barbarous. He would probably think nothing of a random act of violence against one of her own. He might even think her silly for allowing the scar of that night to fester all these years.
“Should I leave you be?” he suddenly asked.
Her stomach churned in a tumultuous uproar, and she was stricken by a fear she couldn’t describe. By his tone, she imagined the question comprised of more than allowing her a bit of solitude to finish washing. She got the impression he was giving her the opportunity to banish him from her bed, her life…forever, if she so wished.
And she should. She should tell him to go and never speak of their liaison again, forget it even occurred. It would be best for both of them, especially since her body seemed afflicted with the urge to claim him as her mate, which made everything that much worse than if they were merely fooling around.
She didn’t want to believe it was true that he was hers—wanted to believe there was some colossal mistake—but another thought plagued her mind.
He would never submit to such a binding commitment as a matehood. Not with a demon. The truth was he wanted a Faieara princess, not a crude-mouthed, aggressive female with an ingrained aversion to him.
The idea should have provided some relief…should have.
She opened her mouth to send him away, but her throat locked up at the thought. Her teeth gnashed together as her jutting fangs lengthened in further protest.
To her embarrassment, he noticed.
But instead of looking aghast, he brought this thumb up to graze her lower lip as though entranced. His other hand crawled along her hip and up her side. She resisted the urge to arch into that touch, only to relent a moment later.
Slowly, he guided her back till she met the cool damp wall before lowering his mouth to hers. She was careful with her fangs while returning the kiss, but he didn’t seem to pay them any heed as his tongue sought hers.
A fresh wave of desire washed away worry, and anticipation engulfed her body as it readied for his expert attention. If he wanted to leave
now, he would need to have a nice long talk with the claws that were digging into his back.
Ethan marveled at her beauty as she accepted his silent commands. Panic had flooded him when he had offered her an out. Fierce indecision had bombarded her, and he thought she might actually take it. He wasn’t ready for that. Had only just breached the outer layer of her thick protective shell. He wanted to explore a little more before she shut the door on him completely.
With his body pressed to hers, he hooked the back of her knee and lifted her leg to rest against his hip, opening her up to him. She planted her elbows on his shoulders, folding her arms around his neck as he sheathed himself inside her. They both shuddered at the ecstasy of their joining, pausing to revel in the sensation.
After a few slow pumps of his hips, she pulled herself up to wrap her other leg around his waist, giving him fuller, deeper access. With his palms firmly on her luscious ass and her back against the wall, he thrust his hips, taking pleasure in the fervent sounds escaping from her.
He vaguely noted her tail spiraling down his leg and stifled a laugh. She couldn’t be more thoroughly wrapped around him if she were the living embodiment of a carnivorous vine. Which, considering her sexy little fangs, that wasn’t far off.
At any moment, she could plant them in his flesh.
And still that didn’t spark the sense of foreboding in him that it should. In this moment, she consumed him mind, body, soul, and deeper yet. There was no caution on his part and he didn’t bother contemplating why. Instead, he lost himself inside her, letting the deluge of their passion pull him under and then force him to new, erotic heights.
He gave a hard, agonizingly controlled thrust before finding an urgent rhythm that ripped groans from deep within him. She rewarded his efforts with sweet feminine moans born of her own building orgasm as her hips rocked with equal fervor.
Her head flew back on a wild cry as her body shuddered from the power of her climax. His own release followed with an explosive force. A force that seemed to shatter his very soul, breaking it into an incalculable number of shards that made up his entire being, before reforming into something new, something he didn’t fully recognize. And as he gazed down at her in stunned amazement, riveted by the drunken bliss in her eyes, his soul cracked and broke again.
All he was, all he had worked for, had guided him to this perfect moment. She was a beacon he never realized he was following.
A dream made real.
The spell broke a moment later as their husky breaths mingled and she met his gaze. The fear he should be experiencing reflected back at him. He scanned her, horrified to find her closing up again.
“Don’t,” he blurted.
Her expression twisted in confusion, and she lowered one leg to meet the ground. He allowed the rest of her to slide down him, but refused to let her pull away completely. He looped one arm around her midsection, holding her close, and cupped her face in an almost desperate way.
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head into his palm. Her lids flashed open as if the move had been unconsciously done.
“I think you should go,” she said. The statement wasn’t cruel. Just expressionless. Which was somehow even worse. “If my brothers found you—”
“Would that be so bad?”
Her head jerked back, brows furrowed. “Do you have any idea what they would do to you?”
“You think I’m worried?”
“You should be.”
At first he had been, but now? If her family wanted to rip him apart for daring to touch her, they would have a hell of a time fighting him for the privilege. “Aw, are you actually concerned for me?” His lips formed a teasing smile.
“Not at all,” she replied, raising her chin.
“Then I don’t see a problem. Leave me to contend with the consequences of my actions.”
“Why would you even risk it? It’s not like…” She trailed off, but Ethan could read what went unsaid. It wasn’t as if they were going to be together like this forever. And she was right. That was something neither of them wanted. Wasn’t it?
“I’ve never been one to shy away from a dangerous situation. Besides, I’m having too much fun with you right now, and I don’t plan on stopping.” He quickly swayed the conversation in a new direction. “Come back to work in the pub. You can’t stay cooped up in this room.”
One corner of her mouth lifted. “You’re changing the subject.”
“Jade is awful at mixing. You’d be horrified to know how many have suffered from her attempts.”
Sonya laughed, and the sound moved through him like a caress. “I was afraid of that.”
Chapter 22
After allowing Ethan to thoroughly persuade her, Sonya finally consented to return to work.
Ethan had been right about Jade. The complaints Sonya received over the next few days were staggering. Apparently the chit couldn’t mix water and ice without somehow sabotaging the flavor.
But she kept Jade on, for the most part, and simply split shifts with her. Working with Ethan full time wasn’t the best idea. Downright dangerous, in fact.
Sonya twisted the cap off a chilled bottle and handed it to the waiting female across the bar. She recognized the girl as one half of the kissing twits from when Ethan had nearly turned her pub into a brothel. Ethan brushed up beside Sonya and rested his hand on the small of her back as he served the second part of the female’s order—a strongly mixed drink for her lover.
As the twit strode away, Ethan’s hand obstinately traveled lower toward Sonya’s backside. She turned her head to glare at him.
He’d taken to doing things of that nature often, such as casting her glances filled with dark promises, even after she’d asked him to not to. If anyone saw the way he leered at her now, her brothers would surely hear of it.
Yet she couldn’t muster the proper amount of anger to censure him with any real conviction. That look alone forced a jolt of sexual anticipation down her spine, straight to her core. It didn’t help that every night he made good on his unspoken, erotic promises, taking her to a land where nothing but ecstasy reigned. She shivered, recalling how the previous evening he had introduced a length of chain into their play.
Sonya had been instantly wary, had even fought back at first, but the wicked gleam in his eyes had her delirious with hunger and surprisingly submissive.
After he’d won out, rendering her helpless and attached to her own bed, he’d leaned down and brushed his lips over a tender spot of her neck, then gave a soft nip. Sonya had gone wild, her fangs lengthening, throbbing. She hadn’t even tried to hide them. Instead, she bared them in a silent warning. But to her surprise, Ethan had offered her a satisfied smirk.
Even now she thought him mad to willingly take her to that dangerous place, but she supposed that’s what the chain had been for. Just in case she had lost control. Very clever, as far as tempting a demon went. Although part of her sensed there was more behind it than just caution. She imagined he enjoyed having her fully under his control. And as she had lain there, vulnerable and exposed, he’d taken his time learning every nuance of her body and driving her mad.
He now knew that when he palmed her breast, she would squirm. When he explored between her thighs with his tongue, she would cry out. And when he stopped, she would growl. He always chuckled at that.
Though it had been a touch unnerving to be bound in such a way, she couldn’t deny her excitement at discovering what he would do next, the anticipation. The only thing he didn’t do was disappoint.
Feeling herself flush at the memory, she clenched her jaw and pushed Ethan away. “Get to work. We have customers who are thirsty.”
He leaned in close to her ear. “I’m parched myself, but I guess I’ll have to wait till later to have my fill.”
She ground her teeth to keep the traitorous smile off her face, but failed in the attempt. “Stop it.”
“Stop what? I’m doing nothing but tending to our clientele.”
She rolle
d her eyes. “Go organize the stock room if you can’t behave.” Loads of new supplies still sat in crates on the floor from when Sebastian had acquired them.
“Very well, but I’m only doing it now because I was going to anyway. Not because you ordered me to.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”
He gave her a heated once over, lingering a little too long before disappearing. It made her glad she had donned this particular outfit this morning. The tight black top offered a glimpse of her midsection. The auburn skirt hugged the curve of her hips, the hem covering just enough not to flash a peek of her undergarments. Of course, she had to be careful about bending over.
Briefly, she considered following Ethan into the stock room and locking the door behind. Perhaps she’d find a bit of chain of her own to use on him.
“Hi Sonya.” Kyra’s familiar voice drew her attention. The Faieara was making herself at home on the ship and, surprisingly, Sonya found her to be quite pleasant. Sweet like Anya, yet not as sheltered or naive.
The fact that Sonya actually liked Kyra grated. Sooner or later, Ethan would begin courting her. No matter what that meant for Sonya, she was determined not to let it bother her.
Zoey appeared next, and claimed a seat at the bar next to Kyra. Zoey was equally likable, if a bit silly. Although that could merely be caused by Kyra’s translation of her crude English into the common space language the rest of them spoke.
“The usual?” Sonya asked, grabbing a set of empty glasses. The two had been regulars in The Demon’s Punchbowl since their arrival. They both loved to dance, which was probably what heartened Sonya to them in the first place.
Kyra nodded in response, but Zoey asked, “You got anything with bite?”
Sonya paused, hearing the words spoken in perfect Demonish.