Tall, Dark, and Deadly: Seven Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance

by Laura Kaye

  “You’re very brave.” Keegan’s tone made it clear he was 100 percent sincere.

  “Somehow, I have a feeling that what I went through was nothing compared to you, was it?” When he looked away and didn’t respond, she touched his cheek and gently nudged his gaze back in her direction. “Tell me, Keegan. About your father. What did he do?”

  …

  Keegan mentally traced the curves of Brynn’s face. She was so lovely, with her curious gaze trained in on him as she waited for him to speak. But where to begin? His past wasn’t something he liked to revisit, but she deserved to know. She needed to know.

  “I told you before that Mammon is a scientist and was once an adviser to the Council, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  “Well, he decided during one of his cataloging missions to experiment with cross-breeding for personal gain. He was in the shifter world at the time and, being the self-centered demon he is, decided to pick the most majestic and elusive race: dragon-shifters. He captured my mother and used drugs to keep her insensible, unable to shift. He raped her repeatedly, only letting her go when he knew she was pregnant.”

  Brynn’s eyes full of unspoken emotion, she touched his shoulder. It was soft and warm, and just the slightest touch of her fingers drove him crazy. How was that even possible?

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  “I don’t remember her,” he confessed. “I only know the story because my father told me.” Coldly and without a care in the world. His mother had been nothing but an instrument for Mammon. Just as he and his brothers were meant to be instruments. “Later, when I was almost a year old, Mammon returned to that world and took me from my mother. She struggled, and he killed her. He brought me back to Infernum with him to be raised by a successive string of wet nurses. He had a habit of burning through them.”

  “But…but you said permission is needed to travel through the portal,” Brynn sputtered. “Didn’t the Council find out about him killing her? Didn’t they care at all?”

  Keegan gave a humorless chuckle as he began pacing the length of the balcony. “They found out and disciplined him, but it was nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Like I told you before, to the Council, evil is relative. They didn’t condone his actions, but he was valuable to them at the time, and so they let it slide.”

  “How could they do that?” she asked, her voice thick with horror. “How could they care so little about a woman’s life? About a child?”

  “They are what they are, Brynn.” He’d stopped trying to figure out their agenda ages ago. What was the point? “Later, on another world, he captured a faerie. An—”

  “Oh my God, faeries?” Brynn took a shaky breath, visibly composing herself. “Sorry, keep going.”

  “The faerie was an air sylph, to be exact, one of the most innocent species among the fae. After studying the race, he managed to ground her so she couldn’t dissipate into the air or flash away to escape.”

  “Flash?” Brynn asked.

  “Some faeries can manipulate space,” Keegan explained. “Travel from one spot to another in the span of an instant. They call it walking the fae path, or flashing. After Mammon captured the sylph, he raped her until she was pregnant, and he later came back for the child. Taeg.”

  “Whoa.” Brynn shook her head. “So even though you and Taeg are brothers, you’re very different, aren’t you?”

  “In some ways,” Keegan said. “We’re all half breeds, byproducts of Mammon’s crazy experiment. Dagan’s mother was a siren. Same story with him. But Ronin…he’s a little different. His mother was an angel.”

  “One of the beings from your planet?”

  “Right. She got away after he raped her, and she was harder to catch. But eventually, he tracked Ronin down, when he was a young boy. Ronin’s mother wasn’t there at the time. Mammon told him he would kill his mom unless he came to live with him, so he did. But he was always disobedient. He hadn’t grown up with Mammon like the rest of us did.”

  “So Mammon beat him,” she finished.

  Keegan nodded. “All the time.” The horror of the night he and Taeg had returned home to find Ronin beaten, bleeding, and half conscious on the floor—along with a bloodied Dagan, who Mammon had sliced open for daring to defend his brother—was what had finally driven him to escape Mammon’s household with his brothers. He would never forget the helpless fury he’d felt at knowing that their father, the man who was supposed to guide and shelter them, could so cruelly torture his own sons. He’d known then that Mammon was incapable of love…and that was how he and his brothers differed from the man who’d given them birth.

  Keegan had sworn that fateful night to protect his brothers from their father. To teach them to be the exact opposite of him. And every day since, they had embraced their love for one another, because it was the one thing that set them apart from their monster of a dad.

  Brynn tilted her head to the side. “What abilities do your brothers have?”

  “Taeg can flash, as well as charm.”

  She laughed. “I’m familiar with the latter, thanks. Wait, if he can flash, does that mean he can find us anywhere we go?”

  “No, he has to know where we are.”

  “Well that’s a relief. What else?”

  “He can change from his normal form to air and become intangible and invisible.”

  “Invisible?” She let out a delicate shudder. “Creepy.”

  But extremely useful, unless you were someone like Mammon who anticipated that and took steps to ground any air sylphs within a certain range. “Ronin can also grow wings, though they look very different from mine. He can heal himself or others by touch. He also has this really annoying ability to calm others with his presence.”

  “I sort of noticed that.”

  She was more perceptive than he’d even realized, then. “Dagan, like all sirens, can breathe underwater. He’s got an incredible singing voice, though he’d kill me if he heard me say that.” He let out a laugh. “He also… Well, like sirens, he seems to have sex appeal that many women can’t resist.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed that.” She actually seemed surprised. Then she gave him a sheepish grin. “I suppose I was too busy looking at you to notice much.”

  Her frank admission caught him off guard. To his chagrin, his face heated, along with other body parts.

  “Your father was trying to create his own army of people with special abilities.”

  Very perceptive of her. Again. “That’s right. It threw a big wrench in his plans when we left instead of falling in line with him.”

  “I’m sorry you had to grow up that way. But more than anything, I’m so proud of the man you are in spite of it.”

  His breath caught at her words. He moved away and turned to look out over the balustrade before he went and did anything stupid. Like lose his heart. “I’ve been thinking more about these dreams you had of my father. Have you had any other strange dreams since you met me?”

  “Strange dreams?” she asked in a choked voice. “I guess I’ve had some vivid ones, but…”

  She moved beside him and pushed his arm so that he was forced to turn and face her. Damn she was beautiful, with her flushed face and her slightly dilated pupils. Like a goddess.

  “Wait a second. That first night after you took me from the gallery, do you think you might have been communicating with me through my dreams?”

  That first night? He froze. His dreams that first night were nowhere near G-rated. “Why? What did you dream about?”

  “You and me. In my bedroom?” She flushed, but rather than look horrified or embarrassed, she looked almost like…well, like she might be a little turned on.

  “I had dreams like that, too,” he admitted. “You think it was telepathic communication?”

  “I think so.” She cast her gaze downward and nodded fervently.

  “It wouldn’t be the first thing Mammon held back from the Council.” Damn that bastard.

&nb
sp; Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep inhale, then let her breath out slowly. Despite himself, his gaze was drawn downward. Did she have anything at all on under that tiny excuse for a robe? From the way it dipped between her breasts, he didn’t think so.

  What would she do if he untied the sash of her robe? Just thinking about it made him grow hard. He wanted her, with an intensity he’d never felt before.

  “What are we going to do about Mammon? About your brothers?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But I’ll figure something out.”

  “No, we will,” she said, her eyes intense. “I don’t know how we ended up here or why you chose to save me, but I’m thankful for it. We’re in this together.”

  Together.

  Why did that very word make his heart rate accelerate and his limbs go weak? Devil, but he wanted her. Given the gravity of the situation, the last thing on his mind right now should be the creamy expanse of her skin visible above the neckline of her robe, or the little pearls of her breasts budding underneath the silky fabric. But he couldn’t help himself.

  As if sensing his thoughts, she peeked up at him from underneath her long, curly lashes. “So what do we do now?”

  “Now?” His voice came out raspier than he’d intended. “Now we rest here for a bit. You’re safe here.”

  “Do you really think we’re safe?”

  On an island in the middle of the ocean, almost a thousand miles from where they were last located? “Yes.”

  Maybe not forever, but for now they were.

  She shot him a seductive smile and just like that, his body was ablaze. “Then I know a few things we can do.”

  “What?”

  Brynn took a deep breath. “Keegan, make love to me.”

  Chapter Twenty

  If she weren’t so turned on, Brynn would have laughed at the shock evident on Keegan’s face. She wanted him. Knowing about his father, about the way Keegan was conceived and raised, only made her want him more. He was a survivor. Selfless. And for right now at least, he was hers.

  “Brynn,” he said in a choked voice, “I don’t know if that’s a good—”

  She pressed her lips to his before he could finish his protest. Lord, he was warm. So incredibly warm.

  He crushed her to his body with a muffled groan. Even through the fabric of his jeans, his erection pressed hot and hard against her side. She ran her hands from his neck down to his back. His muscles tensed and pulsed under her fingertips, a testament to just how taut he was right now. If ever a man needed loosening up, it was him.

  She slipped her hands in between their bodies, fumbling with the zipper of his jeans. He broke away long enough to say, “Wait, I—”

  “No more holding back.” She unzipped his jeans, rising to her toes for another kiss. Then, sliding her hands up his chest, she broke the kiss. She trailed her lips down to his throat and farther down to his waist, where she swirled her tongue around his belly button, much as he’d done to her before.

  “Brynn,” he groaned.

  “Shush. Let me.” She knelt in front of him, watching his anticipation build. But then she saw what he wore under his jeans. Nothing.

  One gentle tug freed his cock from the confines of his jeans. It angled toward her, as if eager for her attention. He was so hard and so incredibly arousing. So perfect. She wrapped her hands around his erection and took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the head before sucking.

  “Oh…damn.” He groaned and clutched her head, letting her go on for several moments before tugging her away. “Stand up.”

  She obeyed, panting as she rose to her feet. He visibly collected himself. Just when she thought he would protest, he lifted his gaze to hers. The hunger in his eyes was undeniable, and it took her breath away.

  He motioned toward one of the lounge chairs. “Go sit down.”

  Her lips curled into a satisfied smile. At last.

  …

  Keegan watched Brynn walk to one of the chairs, which was covered with thick padding. She sat on it and waited, licking her lips while her hungry gaze devoured his stiff arousal. He knew she feared he’d change his mind, but he wasn’t about to back down. Not now. He couldn’t.

  After tugging his jeans all the way down and stepping out of them, he joined her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” she whispered.

  He chuckled and knelt in front of her, untying her robe. One tug was all it took to pull the robe open, slowly unveiling her to his view like a priceless work of art. His breath caught. “You’re the beautiful one.”

  And she was, with her small, firm breasts topped by dusky, beaded nipples. He took one in his mouth, tugging and sucking on it until she moaned and arched her spine. Then he greedily lavished the same attention on the other. Finally, he trailed kisses down to her stomach and parted her legs, exposing her to his view.

  “Keegan,” she gasped.

  “Lie back,” he whispered. She obeyed, and he slid a finger between her legs, flicking and pressing against her clit. When he sucked it into his mouth, she cried out, her hips lifting off the lounge chair. The sound of her pleasure was beyond arousing.

  Rearing back, he rubbed along her slit, spreading the moisture, and slowly pressed one finger inside her. She was so wet, so hot. So tight. He couldn’t wait to be there.

  “Oh, please,” she gasped, pulling his hair.

  “Shush,” he whispered, blowing lightly over her flesh. Bit by bit, he slid another finger in with the first. Then he moved them in and out, keeping time with her heavy moans. His cock twitched, eager to take their place. He was so hard he ached. But he wanted to make her come first.

  He had to taste her again. Arranging her legs over his shoulders, he replaced his fingers with his tongue. Delicious. She tasted so sweet, he didn’t ever want to stop.

  “Keegan,” she screamed, her whole body arching upward.

  That’s it. He groaned in satisfaction as she came apart beneath him, her thighs tightening around his head. Then, when her spasms died away, he rose over her.

  “Please,” she said, her gaze down between their bodies as she grasped his erection and pulled him forward. He groaned at the almost painful pleasure of her hand enclosing him. She guided him to her, trying to press him in. “I want you so much.”

  “Yes,” he growled, bracing himself on his elbows as he pressed down. The head of his cock slipped in, the heat and pressure making him gasp. “So tight.”

  He brought his lips to hers, giving her a deep kiss as he pushed, slow and steady, all the way inside. She was so incredibly tight, and from the way she panted against his mouth and wriggled under him, he sensed she was a little uncomfortable with his fullness inside her. Still, he didn’t stop until he had completely seated himself within her. He couldn’t.

  His balls were so heavy and full it felt like he might explode. But not yet. Not yet.

  As he kissed Brynn and waited for her to adjust to him, his mind was consumed with one thought. Just one.

  Home. She felt like home.

  …

  Brynn breathed in and out, holding on tightly to Keegan while he kissed her. She’d come so hard against his tongue, had gotten so wet, that she would have thought he’d slide right in. But still, his size took a little getting used to.

  “I’m good now,” she whispered.

  He shifted, gazing at her from half-lidded eyes. “You sure?”

  “Yes.” She gasped as he pulled almost all the way out, then thrust back in. Then again and again, tensing his hips each time. Lifting all the way up onto his hands, he angled his hips even more for maximum penetration. She felt so amazingly full. So great. This was what she’d been missing.

  “More?” he asked between thrusts.

  “Oh…yes,” she gasped, digging her fingers into his ass and drawing him deeper into her. Already, her body shuddered and spasmed like it would fall to pieces. Each silky, gliding thrust brought her that much closer to the edge.

  With
a low growl, he lifted one of her legs over his arm and angled himself so that she felt each and every thrust all the way to her core.

  She came apart again with a scream, her legs shaking from the force of her orgasm.

  “Brynn,” he cried as he followed her into oblivion, pumping his hips deep inside her. Only after she’d milked every last drop did he fall on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly to her. That had been so incredibly intense. Even now, she had residual pulses where his flesh still met hers.

  “That was…wow.”

  He lifted his head to shoot her a lazy, satisfied grin. “Yes, it was.”

  When he lifted off her, she rolled to her side and scooted backward to give him some more room next to her. Not that it helped. The lounge chair was so narrow he still threatened to topple off it, but he didn’t seem to care. He just stared at her, smoothing her hair down. “You’re incredible,” he whispered, then bent down to kiss her.

  No—they were incredible together. When he gave her an inscrutable look, Brynn asked him, “You aren’t having any regrets, are you?”

  “Just one.”

  Disappointment washed over her in waves. She hadn’t expected him to say yes. “What is it?”

  “This lounge chair is too damned small.”

  “Oh.” Relieved, she let out a little giggle.

  He rose and lifted her into his arms in one easy movement, shooting her a naughty grin.

  “What?” Brynn asked as he carried her inside and gently laid her on the large bed.

  “Again,” he said, covering her mouth with his.

  …

  Full dark had already fallen by the time Keegan awoke from his deep slumber. Moonlight streamed in through the French doors, illuminating Brynn’s sleeping form. She lay on her stomach, the silk sheets covering up to her waist. Her skin was a shade of pale cream under the light of the moon.

  “My moonlight goddess,” he whispered. Damn, he was becoming a total sap. If Taeg could hear him now, he’d laugh him all the way into the next dimension. But he didn’t give a shit.