Darker-than-midnight eyes kept her gaze as he curled his fingers against her abdomen, scraping down her flesh with precision and a bite of pressure that merely hinted at pain.
“Spread your legs,” he ordered softly.
Vulnerability flowed through her right before she accepted his dare. “Gladly.” She widened her thighs. “You remember what to do down there?”
He smiled then, lopsided and sure. “I think I can find my way.” Dropping to his knees, he palmed her thighs and leaned in.
His hands were warm, his breath hot. Slowly, he blew against her aching clit.
Her knees trembled, and muscle spasms tried to close her legs. His hold easily kept her open for him. Fangs dipped into her thigh in an erotic burn, and she drew up, a gasp escaping. His tongue, rough and firm, lashed the small wound closed.
“I didn’t know we were biting tonight.” She tried to remain calm, but her voice emerged shaky and breathless.
For answer, he nipped her clit.
She cried out, her back bowing. It took her a second to realized he’d just used his lips and not his teeth or fangs. Even so, a tingling started deep inside her, wanting friction to explode. “Nick, please,” she groaned.
“Shhh, baby.” He licked her entire slit and swirled his tongue around the tingling bundle of nerves. “I’ll tell you to beg later. For now, just enjoy.”
She wanted to argue, to punch him for his arrogance, but he gently and slowly sucked her clit into his mouth.
The whimper that escaped her would’ve embarrassed her if she hadn’t been right on the edge of falling into ecstasy. Wet heat from his mouth surrounded her tender flesh, but she couldn’t get any friction.
He kept her trapped and ran two fingers on either side of her labia, sliding one and then two inside her. Her entire body tightened with need, but there was nowhere to move. The fingers inside her twisted, slowly moving in and out, fucking her with enough pressure to drive her crazy but not to orgasm. She gyrated against his hand, but he continued to play.
His free hand—man, he still had a free hand—wandered up her torso and pinched a nipple. Fire lanced down her torso to her clit, sparking and zinging on the way. She was so close. Right there. She could go over with just a hint of pressure. So close.
A growl, deep with frustration, fell from her mouth.
He chuckled around her clit. The vibrations were light but almost enough. So close.
Then he released her. Fingers, mouth, hands . . . he let go.
“Nooooooo.” She sat straight up, her hair flying, and grabbed for his chest.
He smiled, grasped her hips, and fell backward to the floor, his butt and shoulders taking the impact. She landed on top of him, groin to groin, her knees bracketing his thighs.
“Finish what you started on the beach earlier,” he commanded.
She didn’t need to be told twice. Rising over him, impossibly wet, she positioned him at her entrance and shoved down. Firm hands on her hips stopped her when just the tip was inside her. “What are you doing?” she breathed, her nails cutting right into his chest, trying to wriggle her way down.
“Slow.” He allowed her to drop another inch.
The delicious stretch made her groan. “Let go, or I swear to the goddess, I will burn your balls from your body,” she hissed, her thighs tightening against his hips.
“I see.” Hunger glowed in his devastating eyes, and he moved his hands to her breasts. “I’ve let go.”
She rose up, using his ripped chest for balance, and shoved down using all of her weight. Even as ready as she was, she gasped as his cock rammed inside her, so big and full. She quivered around him, nerves shooting, pain melting with pleasure.
He gripped her hips again, preventing her from moving. “Take a second.”
“No.” She tried to lift herself, but he held firm. “Nicholai.”
Somehow, he swelled even bigger inside her. “I said to wait.” A vein bulged in his neck, and perspiration dotted his forehead. “Adjust so I don’t hurt you.”
“I’m adapted,” she ground out. If she didn’t move, she was going to freakin’ pass out. “Let. Go. Of. Me.”
“For now.” He squeezed hard; just another sensation piled on all the rest. Then he reached up and grabbed the back of her nape, drawing her down to his face. His kiss was carnal and shot through her like a jolt of lightning. She bit his bottom lip and then sat up, gaining balance with her knees. Her thighs bunched, and she lifted up, pounding down, her body out of control.
She rode him hard, almost too desperate to reach the finish line. Every time she came down, her clit hit his groin, but then she was up again. She couldn’t stop pounding. Leaning forward, she changed her angle and almost gave herself enough friction. So bloody close, damn it.
With a low chuckle, Nick abandoned her tits, reached down, and pinched her clit between two fingers. The impact was localized in a sharp detonation that spiraled out rapidly. The cabin went white, she threw back her head, and exploded. She increased her pace, pushing down hard, prolonging the pleasure.
Finally, with a muffled sigh, she fell forward onto him.
He ran both hands down her back to cup her butt.
Her heart raced, and no doubt he could feel it. She sucked in air, her body tingling. Slowly, awareness crept back in. He was still inside her, still fully erect. She shoved herself up high enough to see his face. “Um.”
Sin coated his smile. “My turn.”
“Ah,” she said, unable to form a complete word.
“Hmmm.” He released her clit.
Blood rushed back into the bundle of nerves, and she gasped, leaning over him. Her body was one long, electrical wire with pulses still pounding through every inch. Even so, there was no way she could go again. “I need a reprieve.” She chuckled.
“No.” He sat up and lifted her right off him, the muscles bunching in his arms. Demon strength was beyond cool and caused a surprising flutter in her abdomen. Standing, he took her with him, and placed her on her feet. He reached out and ran a hand across the edge of the table. “Too rough.” Looking around her, he scowled at the sofa. “Too grungy.” He turned her toward the bed. “The best choice.”
She eyed the clean-looking linen bedspread. “I agree.”
“Good.” He leaned down, and his lips brushed the back of her ear.
She shivered and started for the bed, only to be stopped by his hand around her bicep. “On the bed, hands and knees,” he whispered.
The sexy, raspy tone licked straight through her. She pulled away and turned to face him, standing there so proud and strong. And erect. Very. “Hands and knees?”
His gaze swept her bare body. “You rode your way, now it’s my turn to ride my way.”
Even as she became quickly aroused again, she felt a quick bite of amusement. “Ride? I’m no horse.”
“No. You’re all woman. Now, get over there before I put you there.”
Oh, he knew her way too well to even think she’d obey blindly, and by the anticipation glinting in his eyes, he was counting on a show of spirit. “You wanna fight, Veis?” she asked, her legs tensing.
“No, I wanna fuck, Simone.” He took a threatening step toward her, the intensity on his face almost giving her pause. “Last chance, baby. It’s too late for gentle, but I’m not too rough . . . yet.”
A tremble rolled through her, toes to head, pausing in her center to heat. Desire ignited inside her like a flash fire. Oh, he’d never hurt her, that she knew. Yet pushing him when he was in such a state of arousal held enough danger to make her think twice. She certainly wouldn’t crawl on over and get in position. But she could take the safer route, chuck a pillow at him, and jump on the bed, or she could take a risk and challenge him full-out.
Nicholai Veis would meet any challenge.
She chose danger.
The second a flash of fire showed on her arm, he was on her.
She yelped, half-laughing, as he took her down to the floor. He wrapped himself aro
und her, so when her hands and knees landed on the sanded pine, the impact was feather light. One strong arm banded around her waist, his front to her back, her gaze down on the floor. Laughing, impossibly turned on, she tried to shove back against him to free herself.
She didn’t move an inch. His strength heated her lungs and drew a haze over her eyes.
A hard slap to her inner thigh stopped her breath in her throat.
“Spread your legs.”
She shut her eyes, so turned on she couldn’t see straight. As one of the most powerful women in the world, this should not be turning her on.
He bit her earlobe, and his erection pressed against her sex. “You want up, burn me, and I’ll let you up. If not, spread your damn legs.”
She shivered, not ready to call it quits, but not ready to submit, even in play. “I’m not into the whole domination thing, demon,” she breathed.
He reached between her legs and slid his palm over her very wet core. “Liar.” His tongue swirled in her ear, and without warning, he slapped her other thigh. “Spread.”
She wanted him inside her so badly, small tremors shook her core.
“Burn me or spread your thighs, Simone. You’ve already earned the spanking of a lifetime, so now you get to decide if it’s before or after sex.” He tapped two fingers across her clit.
She arched against him, biting her lip against the excruciating need. Later she could deal with his threat. Right now, she hungered, so she slowly widened her knees.
“Better.” He lifted up behind her, grabbed her hips, and powered inside her.
Nerves sparked and jumped as he filled her. She whimpered and lowered her head to her arms, letting go of the fight.
He swelled bigger inside her, pulled out, and powered back in. From his position, he could go impossibly deep, filling her to unreal pleasure. She relaxed her body, going soft, and slightly angled her knees in.
His groan echoed through her body, and then he started pounding. Fast and strong, he hammered into her, each strike shooting sparks of need throughout her. His grip tightened, and she couldn’t move even if she wanted to.
Tension uncoiled inside her. Fierce and hot, the mass detonated and exploded out, hurtling her into an orgasm so wild all she could do was hold her breath and ride out the waves. The second she came down, he clutched her harder, shoved deeper than before, and came inside her. His voice was a hoarse whisper against the back of her neck.
They both breathed heavily, and she groaned when he pulled out.
Gentle and firm, he lifted her off the ground and turned toward the bed. She placed a soft kiss on his damp chest. He grinned, looking no less intense but definitely more relaxed. “Oh, you’re still getting that spanking.”
Her eyebrows lifted, and her haze dissipated. A spanking wouldn’t hurt the baby, probably, but she wasn’t sure. Plus, if he tried, she’d burn him badly, and they just didn’t have time for a full-out fight or a burn unit. She reached up and let his whiskers tickle her palm. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
He dropped to the bed, legs over, cradling her against his ripped chest. “You’re procrastinating.”
“Actually, I’m not.” She took a deep breath.
His gaze focused and narrowed, no doubt caught by her obvious concern. “What is it?”
“First promise me that you won’t go all caveman-crazy on me. That we’re in this together, because I still need to face the Nine.”
That quickly, any postcoital glow deserted him, leaving the hard-core warrior ready for battle. “I’m not negotiating with you, Simone. If you have something to tell me, do it now.”
Well, it had been worth a try. She nodded and cleared her throat. The man definitely had the right to know about the baby, and no matter what, she couldn’t keep that kind of secret from him. “Um, I’m pregnant.”
Chapter 28
Nick was fairly certain he might have blinked, and then reality set in. “You can’t be pregnant.”
Simone’s cheek creased. “I am.”
“But. But how?”
The woman laughed out loud. “Well, I could draw you stick figures, but I’m thinkin’ you should be able ta figure it out.”
Her eyes sparkled, but her slip into brogue showed her nervousness. Everything inside him shifted and settled. He breathed out. “You’re all right?”
“Fine.” She shrugged. “I’m only a few days along.” Then her fine eyebrows arched down. “You believe me?”
“Yes.” Of course he believed her. Simone would never lie about something so important. “I’m just surprised, but considering your parents, maybe I shouldn’t be?”
She shivered, and he reached for a blanket at the end of the bed to wrap around her. “It’s still incredibly rare, and it’s not like we coulda used birth control, right?”
He nodded. Birth control didn’t work for immortals, but that wasn’t a big deal because most immortals took eons to procreate. Not Simone, apparently. So many thoughts assailed him, he couldn’t grasp just one. “I was too rough.”
She rolled her eyes. “You were fine. The babe is well protected, Nicholai.”
Relief coursed through him. Even so, he’d be much more careful in the future. “Okay. Wow. This is a big deal.” How lame were those words?
She patted his chest. “I’ve had a little time to get used to the idea, and I’m still kind of freaking out.”
A babe. Simone with child. Nick tightened his hold on them both. “We need to get you somewhere safe.” A small island in the middle of a stormy ocean didn’t count. They also needed to mate and soon.
“I need to face the Nine, but I’m more worried about the dragons.” Her jaw firmed, but real fear swirled in her eyes. “They said they’d kill any dragon-demon child because of its potential mind attack ability. There was a hybrid years ago, and it sounds like he was an evil monster with powers nobody could overcome.”
Heat and power jerked Nick’s spine into a straight line. “That’s ridiculous. Our child will know love and security. That’s not an environment to create evil.” He leaned down and rubbed his nose over hers. “We’ll make sure he’s a good person.”
“She,” Simone murmured. “I’m betting on she.”
“Even better.” He smiled to mask the furious need to protect slamming through him with more force than the storm hammering the small cottage. “Nobody is going to harm this baby. You have my word.” He’d kill every last dragon on earth if they were a threat to his child. His hands shook, and his voice lowered to glass in a cement mixer. So he stood and carefully placed her back on the bed as if she were something infinitely fragile, which suddenly, she was.
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her upturned nose. “I’m happy about this, Simone.” There were so many damn emotions battering him that happy had to be in there somewhere. “Give me a minute to gather more firewood from outside, and we’ll create a plan. All right?”
She nodded, understanding filling her dark eyes. “Take your time.”
He turned to the doorway and had just reached it when she called out.
“You might want to put on your jeans.” The laughter in her voice warmed him throughout.
Giving her a grin, he leaned down and tugged up his jeans before stepping back into his boots. Then he paused and stalked over to the cupboards to open several. Simple utensils and plates. He glanced around the small room.
“What?” Simone asked.
“Weapons. Where would Bear hide weapons?” Nick looked up and around the ceiling.
“Somewhere simple. Probably under the bed.” Simone moved to get up.
Nick stalled her with a hand. “Stay wrapped up.” He crossed to the bed and crouched down to find a flat metal chest. He pulled it out and flipped open the lid to reveal several guns, swords, knives, throwing stars, and even explosives. “Whoa.”
Simone leaned over the edge of the bed. “He’s got an arsenal in there.”
Nick grabbed two green guns and handed them to h
er. “Until I get back.” Preferring a blade, he took two and tucked one in his boot and the other in his pocket. “Shoot anybody that’s not me. Including Bear.”
“Funny.” Simone set the guns down. “If you need backup, call me.”
He eyed her. If she thought she was going into any sort of battle now, she truly didn’t know him. “We’ll talk when I get back.”
“You’re damn right we will.” She met his gaze levelly.
He gave a short nod and turned for the storm outside, which would probably be easier to tame than the woman behind him. Once outside, he shut the door and leaned back against it, taking several deep breaths. A baby. The world suddenly felt both heavier and lighter, scarier and more beautiful.
Lightning arced across the water, flashing silver and purple. Waves crashed, high and angry, and rain barreled down to attack the earth. The wind blew sand into his legs and over the front porch. He stepped off the porch, shielding his eyes from the sand, and walked the perimeter of the cabin to find the generator in a stone outbuilding connected to the house. Then he patrolled farther out, keeping the cabin in sight at all times and strategizing his next move with Simone and the rest of the world. Finally, deciding the weather was the biggest threat to them at the moment, he gathered more wood from a shed and stomped back inside.
The fire had died down to small crackles, and Simone lay asleep on the bed, still in the blanket he’d wrapped around her. Her thick hair had dried splayed over the pillow. Soft firelight caressed her delicate cheekbones and pursed lips. In sleep she was just as beautiful as when fully animated.
He studied her, and something inside him, something deep, down, and hidden . . . relaxed. Everything he’d ever want or need lay sleeping on that bed.
For years, he’d wondered. Would he be whole again? Would he feel love again?
He did. With her, a wild witch of a woman, and now their babe. It was more than he deserved, but he’d hold on with both hands. Nothing and nobody would harm them. Ever.
He kicked off his boots and padded to place the wood near the fire. Carefully, he piled on a few more logs and then removed his clothing to dry over the table before finding a pair of old sweats in the dresser and yanking them on. Gently, he took the two guns off the bed and pressed a kiss to Simone’s forehead before stalking over to the couch to keep watch for the night.
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