by Sharon Kay
He positioned himself at her entrance and nudged inside. Fuck. Her slick walls were hot. And not just sexy hot. Internally, her temperature was even hotter.
He pulled back and rocked in again, sliding deeper. She was a furnace, her heat wrapping around his cock, cranking him up further. He repeated his motion, watching her face.
She bit her lip.
He didn’t know her well enough yet to read into that. “You okay?”
“Yes.” Her voice was soft, her skin flushed. “Just getting used to you.”
He continued his slow thrusts until he was—thank the gods above—balls deep in her taut little body. “Good?” His voice was strained. Tightness coiled at the base of his cock. Gritting his teeth, he held on to his control.
“Yes.” Her tone changed from breathy to commanding and she leaned back, placing her hands on the counter behind her. She rolled her hips. “More than good.”
The rough tips of her heels dug into his lower back. Holy hell. His eyes dropped to their connection and he pulled out almost all the way, only to slam back into her. She took his whole length. She felt like heaven, but watching his shaft disappear into her folds was mind-blowing. “Hold on, Ginger.”
He grabbed her thighs and plunged again, setting a furious pace. Her breaths came in short gasps, her body flexing around him, and she warmed him from the inside out. Gods, he’d never felt anything like this.
She met his thrusts, her breasts bouncing with every slam of his body. She moaned and dropped her head back. “Touch me.”
He raised a hand to her breast and skimmed two fingers down it, stopping at her nipple. He rolled it gently, then trailed his fingers down to her center, pausing right above her clit. “You want me to touch you here?”
“Yes.” She uttered the word on a breathless moan, urgent and insistent.
He dipped his fingers. In a circling motion he rubbed his thumb over her, stopping, then starting again. She pushed against him, eyes closed and head back. Her shoes scraped his skin and damn, that was sexy. Fuck. She was a fantasy come to life.
His balls tightened with his impending release. He wasn’t going to last long. He needed her to come. He lifted one of her legs and set her ankle on his shoulder, changing the angle of his penetration.
“Mathias!” Her hips jerked forward with the force of her orgasm. “Oh God! Harder!”
“Fuck,” he growled. He could do harder. He had no choice. Her inner muscles squeezed him, her heat making him lose his last shred of control. He shut his eyes. No telling if they were glowing or not. Her climax brought him over the edge with her and he slammed her body over and over until he was spent.
Panting hard, he fought to rein in the rampant lust that coursed over him. He could do this all night, but he was still technically on the job. You just had sex with a Solsti. The best sex of his life. Wait. He struggled to remember any fucking as good as this, in five hundred years…No. Fuck me.
“Holy shit.” He opened his eyes to see her gazing at him with a look somewhere between exhaustion and contentment.
“Holy shit is right,” she murmured, dragging her fingers back and forth across his chest. “I don’t think I can walk.”
“Fuck, did I hurt you?”
“No. I’m fine. You felt amazing.” Her arm trembled, and he realized she was still bracing her weight on the counter.
He wrapped her tightly to his chest. “So did you.”
She lifted her head. “Stay for dinner?”
Hell if he could say no to her. “Sure. Wanna go out?”
“No. Can’t walk, remember?” She dropped a quick kiss on his chest. “I made a batch of lasagna this morning. It’s in the fridge. I figured I’d eat it with someone. Ria or Cassie, maybe…or you.” Her eyes flicked up to his.
She made dinner ahead of time, for me. Holy hell. “Lasagna sounds incredible. I’d love to stay. And I’ll do dishes.”
Her warm smile ignited something in his chest, a buzzing warmth that radiated to his limbs. He’d made her happy. And that made him want to pound his chest even more than the scorching hot fuck session they’d just had. He didn’t know what that feeling was about or where it came from, but it settled over him like a cloak. Gin was more than a job. Her happiness was just as important as her safety. And he wanted to ensure that happiness as much as he could.
CHAPTER 15
BROOKE RAISED HER HEAD FROM the tub, coughing and sputtering. She gritted her teeth to hold back a growl and glared at the water. She brought her hand down, smacking the surface. “Goddamn it.”
Kai sat across from her, submerged to his chest in the oversized tub. With his long legs, his feet reached her hips. He wiggled his toes, tickling her. “You’ll get it, baby. You can do anything.”
It was the monumental task of breathing under water. “I’ve tried visualizing the molecules, thinking about my lungs…what am I missing?”
“Maybe just imagine yourself doing it, rather than thinking about the steps that will get you there. The end result, not the process.”
“That’s a good idea.” She rolled her lips into her mouth, pondering.
“I’m good for more than just being your obedient sex slave.” He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back against the tile.
She giggled. “Yeah, I’ll keep you around. What would I do without my daily orgasms?” She cast a smirk at the condom wrappers littering the bathroom floor. Kai was coming into his fertile time, which only happened twice a year with most supernaturals. For Lash demons, it occurred around the time of the solstices.
“You’d be one grumpy Solsti. This city would probably have rain every day.” He gave her a chin lift. “Try again.”
Brooke lowered her head so her lips touched the water. Visualizing a peaceful beach, she relaxed every muscle. If you can breathe on the beach, you can breathe in the water. She dipped her head below the surface.
In her mind’s eye she saw herself submerged in turquoise depths, swimming along a tropical reef. Brightly colored fish darted in front of her. Her hair floated in waves above her head, unhindered by the strap of a mask. She blew bubbles, unencumbered by a snorkel tube. She was just like the fish. She inhaled…
Oxygen molecules detached from the larger water molecules and rushed into her lungs. Yes! Excitement churned through her mind, but she shoved it aside. She needed to focus. Keep breathing. Just like a fish. She blew out some of the air and kept some in, just in case. She imagined a shy clownfish ducking into its anemone home to hide from her. Okay, breathe in.
Once again her lungs inflated. I did it! She flung her head back and blinked water from her eyes. “I—”
Splashing water over the side of the tub, Kai lunged for her. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Holy shit! You did it! Baby, I am so proud of you.” He pulled back to study her face. “How did it feel? How do you feel?”
“It was just like regular breathing. I imagined a reef, and—”
“I saw the reef.” As mates, she and Kai could project thoughts to each other when in close proximity. And they sensed one another’s emotions nearly all the time. “That looked beautiful. But what about you? Any dizziness?”
His concern was justified. Sometimes if she used her ability in a taxing manner she blacked out. “No, I’m fine. But I only took two breaths. And I was just sitting here.”
He ran a hand down her back. “Let’s keep practicing here at home until you get more used to it. Then we can move to the pool in your gym and you can swim while you do it.”
“That’ll be interesting. We’ll need to go when no one else is there.”
“Nah. People will just think you’re holding your breath for a really long time.”
She beamed. “Okay. Let me try a few more times today, then we need to get this place ready for company. Ashina’s coming over tomorrow.” The stunning demoness Brooke and Kai had met a couple months before was visiting Earth for the first time, with her mate Raniero.
“Hey, she’s mated. She’
s seen condoms before.” Kai nuzzled her neck.
“Mmm, not all over the house.” She traced circles along the muscles of his back. “We need to clean up and hide all those jumbo boxes you bought.”
“Like I said…she’s mated.”
“You’re impossible when you’re ferti— Oh! I have to call Nicole!” Brooke reached for a towel to dry her hands and called her sister. Nicole picked up on the first ring.
“I did it!” Brooke shrieked.
“Woo-hoo!” Nicole’s responding scream through the phone was so loud, Brooke had to hold the phone away from her head. “Oh my gosh! There’s a whole new world for you to explore. I’m so jealous.”
“You can explore it with me. You’ll just need scuba gear. I can’t wait to do this with you.” Brooke trailed a hand down Kai’s broad chest, loving the patient expression he wore when she just had to talk to either of her sisters. She knew he considered Nicole to be a sister-in-law, and would protect her with his life. Gin too, even though she hadn’t visited Demon Central—ever—and hadn’t met Kai in person.
“…you coming over here tonight?” Nicole’s excited chatter brought Brooke back to the present.
‘No, we’re gonna stay here at the condo. Get it ready for tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to meet Ashina.” Nicole’s voice brimmed with anticipation.
“I can’t wait for you to meet her too. I want to see if you feel the same connection I did.”
“I know. I want to see what that’s all about.”
“Plus, her eyes. They’re exactly like yours and Gin’s. It’s so weird.” Brooke played with Kai’s wet hair, spiking it into a Mohawk. “All right, chica, I have to finish my bath. Catch you later.” Brooke ended the call and looked at Kai. “I want to see if I feel the same thing again, when she’s here.” Though her encounter with Ashina had been brief, she’d been overwhelmed with the feeling that she somehow knew the woman. But the sensation defied explanation, and they hadn’t had much time to talk.
“I know you do, Sprite. And maybe I can help you figure it out, since our bond is more fully formed than it was when you met her.”
Brooke smiled. ‘Yes, it is. But can you think clearly with your current case of sex-on-the-brain?”
He grinned and pulled her close. “Always. Although, having sex helps cure sex-on-the-brain.”
Through their bond she felt his need building, and it stoked her own. But her body was still hyped with excitement at her newfound skill. “First, let me practice some more. I need to concentrate. Then we can play.” She kissed him tenderly, then gave a playful shove to his chest. Not that she could move him. He was six and a half feet of unyielding muscle.
But he scooted back to his side of the tub, leveling her with an intense, melting stare. “I’ll consider that a promise.”
She blew him a kiss and got back to work.
THE THIEF
A SONIC BOOM SHOOK THE stone mansion and the thief jumped. For show, of course. As guests’ voices rose and they looked around like startled deer, acrid fog shot through the halls. Torth’s version of smoke bombs. They didn’t just land in one spot, they rolled, seeking to cover as much ground as possible, pouring clouds in their wake.
The lights went out. Panicked creatures rushed for the door. The thief murmured a spell, twisting open the huge fake gem on her ring. She held it over the glass in front of her and three drops of blood fell to the surface. A tiny poof of mist wafted up to her, indicating the spell had been negated. Step one, done.
She reached into her glittery clutch, retrieving a small, wooden-handled dagger. She whipped off the sheath and positioned the glowing blade at the lower edge of the glass. It shone with a blue light, almost vibrating in her palm. She’d stolen it years ago from a mage, and it never left her side. With one swift thrust into the side of the case, the glass shattered. Step two, voila.
She grabbed the transportation amulet and tucked it into a tiny pocket in her bra. Unable to use it, thanks to the shielding wards, she’d have to wait until she got away from Mulvari’s land. Sheathing her blade and hiding it in her purse, she strode out.
Chaos reigned in the halls. Even the fire bulbs over the framed painting were out. She had to hand it to Sebastian. That was no easy feat. His smoke bombs must have included an added element to dampen them.
She walked past the room of sculptures where she had spotted Mulvari earlier. No sign of him now. Probably hiding somewhere, with a dozen guards to protect him.
Two elves ran by but skidded to a halt in front of her. A blast of heat reached her before she spied what had stopped them, and since elves were among the few creatures shorter than her, she got a good look at the results of her and Sebastian’s manufactured clusterfuck.
The foyer was full of flames, engulfing the huge wooden door and tapestries hanging near it. Gray smoke billowed up to the high ceiling. The thief pasted a concerned look on her face and headed for the back of the house.
Disappearing down the hall she had just emerged from, she ran into a wall that wasn’t there before. She thrust a hand out to steady herself and found—
“Where are you going, fae?” a gruff voice barked.
Craning her neck, she locked eyes with the dark-haired Watchman. Fuck. His nosey ass was the last thing she needed.
From his impressive height, brown eyes glowered down on her. She should give him attitude. He should be concerned for the safety of the guests, not acting like a grumpy giant. But she found herself entranced with the raw power he exuded. He managed to look menacing and just at the same time. He could probably lift her with one hand. And even with his scowl, she didn’t miss the full lower lip that she had the sudden urge to bite.
She took a step back and feigned innocent confusion, widening her eyes and blinking rapidly. “I’m trying to get out. Do you know if Mulvari’s okay?” Maybe if she brought the focus to the real criminal, he’d go find him.
His dark gaze swept her body. “Mulvari isn’t—”
Three guards ran in their direction, shouting and waving their arms. “We need your help, Lash. The fire has spread and the gate—”
Thank you, guards. She ducked around the demon’s massive body and darted down the hall, far enough away from him that clouds of smoke rose between them. Pulling the shadows around herself, she ran, dodging demons and fae.
The long hall took her into a huge kitchen. Finding it empty, she saw a door on the far side, leading to the backyard. Perfect. Focused on it, she charged forward and tripped. Tumbled ass over black strappy heels onto the stone floor. What the—
A growl came from a drooling mouth. Red eyes glowed in the dark. Shit. How did a hellhound get inside? Her concentration broke with her fall, so the beast could see her as well as it could smell her. She scooted back, but not before its snapping teeth locked onto her ankle.
She kicked the dog in the nose, forcing it to loosen its grip enough to jerk her leg free. The wound wasn’t deep but dammit, it was messy. Blood dripped on the floor. It would attract the other hounds. The hound in front of her snarled. She needed out of here, pronto.
Reaching for her mage blade, she drew off its sheath. The overgrown canine barked at the glowing metal. The thief waved it back and forth. The hound looked confused then mesmerized, as she’d expected it would, as it tracked the brightness. Kind of like how birds like shiny objects. She plunged it deep into the animal’s neck. A tiny whimper cut off and it thudded to the floor.
Clambering to her feet, she raced for the door, keeping the knife in hand in case more hounds showed up. And since she was now leaving a blood trail, they surely would. Damn smelly beasts.
She burst through the door and across the backyard, cloaking herself once again. The night air swirled cool caresses against her wet leg.
Deep baying echoed off the stone walls of the house as four hounds charged around the corner. How did they pick up the blood scent that fast? They ran across her trail and stopped, muzzles brushing the grass. With renewed growls, they
changed direction to follow her.
She ran as fast as she could, gritting her teeth against the pain in her ankle, heels sinking into the lush lawn. Voices carried on the gentle wind, from the sides or front of the house, she guessed. All she cared about was getting to that rear gate.
The thief reached it and grabbed the handle. Locked. Who locks the gates from the inside? Damn Mulvari. She looked up. Not as tall as the front one, but still at least seven feet of straight, smooth wood.
She yanked a bracelet off her wrist. It looked like a simple braid of metal, a trinket one could find anywhere. Pressing a button on the inner curve, it snapped open and extended to a length of about four feet. A hook formed where the original circle had been, and as she flung it to the top of the gate, the rope extended farther.
The sound of barking drew close behind her. With the hook secure, she threw her clutch over the gate and grasped her magic rope in both hands. Hauling her weight, digging her heels into the wood, she climbed as fast as she could.
A hound jumped up and snapped, its teeth coming too close to her uninjured leg. She resisted the urge to kick it, needing to get the hell out of there.
At the top, she straddled the gate and wrenched her hook free. She pressed the button again and the length disappeared. Placing the bracelet back on her wrist, she looked down the other side. The wood surface was rough and unfinished, but no one was there.
Thud!
The gate shook with the weight of a hound slamming its massive body into the wood. Scrambling to stay upright and not tumble back into its waiting jaws, she squeezed her knees tightly and struggled for a handhold. Those goddamn beasts easily outweighed her. She clutched the gate but then another, larger, hound threw its body against the wood. The gate jolted hard, and her balance was lost.
She let go and fell down the back side, skidding awkwardly against the gate. Her head bounced against it as she slid, and she landed hard on the grass.
Another thud rattled the gate and she rubbed the back of her head, wincing. Next she inspected her ankle and found two ugly punctures.
