My words to her had been true, demons didn’t judge sex in the same way. The only time it meant anything more than satisfying an itch was when it was with one’s Chosen. If she wasn’t my Chosen, it would be different between us simply because I liked her more than any other woman I’d ever been with.
I respected her determination and steadfast way of approaching things. I admired the way she kept forging forward even after losing everything she’d ever known, having her new heritage and powers thrown at her, and a whole new life and possible death sentence tossed into her lap.
My words had been true, but I was still inordinately pleased by the realization she’d never known another man. I’d never been with a virgin; I preferred a more experienced partner, but with her, she would be only mine.
Her chin tilted up. “So not thousands upon thousands,” she muttered. “Woo-hoo for you.”
“You will judge me then?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip in such an enticing way that fresh blood flooded my groin. “No,” she finally said. “I won’t. How do I know you’re not trying to get in my pants because the man who stole your throne from your ancestor is my ancestor? Maybe you’re looking to punish him or spite him in some way by trying to have sex with the person you consider his daughter?”
My lips skimmed back at her words as uncontrollable anger surged through me. Swiftly moving toward her, I slammed my hands into the wall beside her head before she had a chance to move. She jumped when the plaster gave way beneath my fists.
“Don’t ever say something like that again!” I snarled.
Her gaze remained on mine; I saw no fear there as her eyes narrowed minutely. I caged her in when she tried to duck my arm, pinning her against the wall with my body and hands. She pulled back and pressed herself against the wall again. Unlike so many others who would have cowered before me, her chin rose and her lips compressed.
Despite her defiant front, I could hear her heart hammering in her chest. I knew I was overwhelming her, knew she was frightened of everything she was feeling, but I couldn’t get myself to move away from her.
“You’re here because of your heritage, I will give you that, but I do not desire you because of it. I desire you because of you. I am not one for spite; I am one for death. Never forget that, River. I don’t do ulterior motives, play games, or use sex as a weapon. Besides, Lucifer wouldn’t give two shits about me throwing his daughter one. He only cares about the power you may be able to bring him or the damage you could possibly inflict on him.”
“I don’t know what to do!” she cried in frustration. “I’m not sure I could satisfy your needs. I know they are far more than human, you said so. How do I handle that? And when you return to the fire and other women…”
Pulling my hand from the wall, I brushed my knuckles over her silken cheek when her words trailed off and hurt flashed through her eyes. “All you have to do is be you. That is all I want from you. I’ll only take what you’re willing to give me, but know I want it all. There will be no other women for me, solely you.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I haven’t been with another woman since you stepped foot in this camp.” I’d never intended to admit that to her, but the stress and unhappiness radiating from her tore at me. I couldn’t keep her from what lay ahead of us, but I would do everything I could to make her happy now. “I’ve never gone so long before.”
“And after you’ve had me, then what? You’ll toss me aside like all the other humans and demons you’ve used!”
I buried my annoyance at her words. I had to remind myself that humans saw things so differently than demons did. “No. You are nothing like any other woman I’ve ever encountered. Once I’ve had you, I’ll have you again, repeatedly.”
Stepping closer, I pulled my other fist from the wall. Plaster dust trickled around her, and some of it stuck in her damp hair as I rested my hands on an unbroken section of wall by her head. I gazed at those tempting lips, swollen from my kiss. I lowered my head until my lips were against her ear and I breathed in the scent of her. Her body tensed, but she seemed to lose the battle with herself when she turned her head into my cheek.
“You’re beautiful, River, and I’d like to watch you dress. Let me.”
I grasped the edge of her towel, giving her time to tell me no, but she remained silent and watchful as I gradually pulled it open. The sight of her full breasts with their pert, dusky nipples standing out as they begged for attention caused me to groan.
Lean muscle ran through her flat stomach. I couldn’t stop my hand from running over it before sweeping over the curve of her rounded hips and down toward the mouthwatering black triangle.
She inhaled sharply, her body pushing closer to mine when I cupped her mound in my hand and slid my fingers over her silken, wet warmth. “I’ve found no release since the dreams started, not even with my own hand. Have you?” I grated against her ear.
Her hands fell onto my shoulders, and her fingers dug into my flesh as her hips moved with my finger once more.
“Have you found your own release?” I demanded, stilling my hand against her. She impatiently thrust her hips against me, but I remained unmoving. “Answer me, River.”
“No!” she admitted on a gasp.
Her head fell to my shoulder when I stroked her anew, my fingers sliding deep within her while my thumb rubbed over her clit. Tremors rocked her; her teeth pressed against my neck to stifle her cries.
“Before the dreams, did you slide your hand between your legs and come while imagining it was me inside of you?” I asked.
Her head lifted; her striking eyes flew open to meet mine. I held my breath as I waited for her to respond, finally she gave a brief nod. “I did. I’d imagined it was you often before.”
I was unable to tear my gaze away from her darkening eyes as those words unleashed something primitive within me. I’d never felt undone before; I did now. This woman could somehow strip me down to my basest demon instincts and set free something within me I’d never known existed. It felt powerful in a way I’d never known before her.
“Why didn’t you after the dreams started?” I asked as I watched her body grinding against my fingers.
“Because I knew I’d find no fulfillment, not unless it was you.”
I growled at the admission before bending my head to reclaim her mouth once more. The feel of the cloth of my pants between us was becoming unbearable; I almost tore them from me, threw her on the bed, and took her right then. I held myself back because I didn’t want this to be quick, not with her. I would savor her for hours before it was over.
She tore her mouth away from mine; her breathing ragged as she struggled to catch her breath. “Kobal, you have to stop. We have to go. You must meet with Mac.”
Something savage built within me. I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. I may not be able to find my release right now, but she would find hers. I would not leave her in need when I could bring her fulfillment. Unfortunately, she had other plans as she pressed closer against the wall, pulling away from me with a look of regret and longing. I reached for her again, but she grasped my wrist before I could touch her.
Her eyes searched my face as her fingers stroked over my wrist, somehow managing to soothe my need to grab her. Her legs trembled and her nipples were hard buds begging to be stroked, but she still refused to let me ease the desire I could smell on her.
“You cannot jeopardize your relationship with the humans further; we must go,” she whispered.
Reluctantly, I stepped away from her. My dick jerked with disappointment, but it had waited this long, it could wait longer for her.
I stopped her hands before she could pull the towel back over her. “Kobal—”
“I want to watch.”
Torture myself further more like it, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her lithe body. Ever so slowly, I tugged the towel away from her and tossed it on the bed. Red tinged her neck and cheeks but she didn’t argue with me wh
en I bent to pick up the clothes she’d dropped on the floor. Grabbing her simple white underwear, I dangled it from the tip of my finger as I held it out to her. She stared at it for a minute before snatching it away from me.
Her necklace fell forward, my eyes drank her in as she bent and tugged her underwear on over one foot then the other. They didn’t look so simple when they were sliding over her flesh. I admired the curve of her rounded ass and the way her breasts swayed with her movements. Disappointment filled me when she tugged her bra on and clasped it behind her back.
“You’re the only one who will satisfy me, too.” I didn’t know where the words had come from, but I knew they were true, just as I knew she belonged to me.
She froze in the middle of pulling her shirt on. Through the thin material of her white bra I watched as her nipples puckered. She hastily pulled her shirt the rest of the way over her head and tugged it into place before slipping on her shorts.
I took hold of her arm, pulling her against my chest and brushing back strands of her damp black hair. I wiped the plaster away, hating to tarnish the beauty of her raven locks. “Let me into your room tonight, River.” She blinked up at me. “Let me finally satisfy us both.”
I didn’t give her a chance to respond before I bent and kissed her. I pulled her lip into my mouth, sucking on it briefly before forcing myself away from her. Adjusting my erection, I tucked it into my waistband to keep it hidden from others. When I lifted my head, I found her gaze raptly fixed on my cock with a ravenous look in her eyes that had me rethinking my meeting with Mac.
Tugging on her hand, I started to lead her from the room, but froze when my eyes latched onto the dusty mirror of the bureau in the room. My teeth clamped together as I willed the gold hue of my eyes to return to normal. The gold was a symbol of aggression, a loss of control. This loss of control was something I knew had never occurred when I’d been with other women. This was because of River.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing,” I replied when they finally shifted back to their black color.
“I like the amber. It’s so… feral.”
I smiled as I bent to place a kiss against her damp hair. “You’ll see it often then when I’m inside of you.” Her breath caught, and her fingers flew to her lips. “Regretting that we stopped?”
“Yes. I mean, no. We must go.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her as I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just say yes next time.”
Her breath exploded from her. I tugged on her elbow, leading her from the room and down the stairs before I could change my mind about not taking her now. My erection made walking difficult, but it didn’t matter, it would be eased later tonight. I kept her close to my side as I walked with her up the hill toward the tents. Bale and the others were standing outside of my tent when we arrived.
“Is Mac in there?” I inquired.
“Yes,” Bale answered and pulled back the flap.
I squeezed River’s hand before releasing it. I didn’t like the idea of leaving her, but I had to deal with Mac alone. “Make sure she stays safe,” I commanded gruffly.
“We will,” Corson vowed.
The flap of the tent rippled as it fell into place behind me. Mac sat at the table, a goblet of wine before him already and his arm draped over the back of his chair as he stared at me. “What were those things?” he demanded.
“Revenirs,” I answered as I walked over to pour myself a goblet of wine. I explained what they were to him while I settled into the chair beside him. “Lucifer’s faction is becoming more aggressive and they’ve succeeded in opening at least the first seal, something I’d planned to keep them from doing. They’re looking for her.”
“Was she injured?”
“She’ll heal.”
Mac’s steely gaze ran over me. “You’ve kept your ability to wield fire hidden from me for twelve years.”
“I have.” And others.
“Why?”
“I’m sure you haven’t revealed all to me either.”
“Maybe not, but no human can do what you did today.”
“Except for River.”
“Is she human though?”
“She’s more human than not.”
Mac took a sip of his wine. “What else have you kept hidden from me?”
“I’m sure you will understand when I don’t tell you everything. Humans outnumber us after all, your kind tore into our world, and some of your weapons are capable of killing us. We’ve worked side by side all these years. We saved countless lives today, and we are closer than we’ve ever been to possibly having a way to close the gate. I think that should be enough for you to trust me.”
He folded his arms over his chest as he held my stare. Most humans wouldn’t look at me so directly, or for so long, but Mac never backed away. “You frightened a lot of the others today.”
“I frighten all of them every day.”
“True,” he agreed. “But I’m not sure they’re going to be able to get over this.”
“They’re alive because of what I’m capable of. They should feel secure in the knowledge I saved their lives and never so much as singed a hair on their heads.”
Mac lifted his goblet and took another sip of his wine. “Was it their lives you were looking to save or was it hers?”
I kept myself immobile and my face impassive while inside a riot of emotions tore through me. I had kept my abilities secret from them as a defense mechanism, but I realized now my biggest weakness was walking around outside of me. Given her mortality, she was far more vulnerable than I. There had been no way to hide my need to keep her safe from them today; there would be no way to keep it from my more menacing enemies either.
“Her life is the most valuable and you know it,” I replied with a calmness I didn’t feel.
Mac took another sip of his wine while he watched me. “Yes, I do. You’re going to have to do some damage control tomorrow.”
“Play nice with the humans?”
“Are you capable of it?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’ll see.”
The wry smile slipped away from Mac’s lips as he leaned back in his chair. “Would you like to move up the date of the mission?”
“No. We still have more to cut from the group who will be coming with us and River isn’t ready to go yet. Lucifer may be searching for her, but he doesn’t know she’s here. We still have some time.”
“Understandable.”
Mac leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. We spent another two hours talking about training, who he considered the best recruits out of the hundred and fifty who still remained separated for special training for the mission, and we discussed the upcoming journey into the interior wasteland of this country. A journey he would not be a part of as he would remain here to supervise the soldiers and demons left to guard the wall.
Finally, Mac rose to his feet and stretched his back. “I never thanked you for what you did earlier,” he said as he thrust his hand out to me. “It was a sight to behold, but one that kept many of us alive.”
I shook his hand briskly before releasing it. Excitement pulsed through me as thoughts of River filled my head while I walked with him toward the exit. “You’re welcome.”
I held the flap back for him and stepped into the night behind him. The crackle of the fire on the hill drew my attention to the flames leaping high into the air.
“How did it go?” Corson demanded from where he stood next to Bale beside the tent.
“There will be some damage control to be done, but he understands.”
“He’s a leader, of course he does,” Bale replied.
“Where is she?” I inquired, unwilling to wait any longer.
“She went to bed about an hour ago,” Bale answered.
I bit back a curse, gave a brief bow of my head to them, and ducked into the tent. I impatiently closed and buttoned the flap before stalking over to the thin material blo
cking me from her. I stood there, listening for any sounds of movement on the other side. It remained quiet, but I knew she was awake; I could smell the increasingly sweet scent of her arousal.
My shaft lengthened against my thigh as I waited to see if she would finally allow me to ease her body.
CHAPTER 35
River
I sat cross-legged on the bed, my fingers fidgeting with the edge of the white T-shirt I’d donned to sleep in. It was all I wore, yet it felt too cumbersome against my hypersensitive skin. The soothing sounds of Mac and Kobal’s voices drifted away and I realized they’d left the tent. My heartbeat picked up and excitement slithered over my skin when I heard the flap on the front of the tent lifting and falling into place again.
I didn’t hear Kobal’s footfalls, but he was out there; I could feel him. I stared at the flap dividing the two rooms, knowing he wouldn’t come to me. This was my decision to make; I would have to get up and go to him. Could I do that? Could I open myself up to him in such a way?
He could destroy my heart, shred it within his hands, but I wanted those hands running over me. If I opened that flap, I would be leaving myself open to heartbreak and misery, but I’d finally get the chance to ease this unending torment that had taken up residence in my body since meeting him.
Turning, I set my feet on the floor; my hands gripped the edge of the bed.
I should be strong enough to turn my back to the flap and shut him out. I should be strong enough to keep my distance from him and my heart protected. This man wasn’t human. He could wield fire with his hands, and I knew there was more I didn’t know about him, but I found myself not caring about any of it. Didn’t care he was the rightful king of Hell or that the man who’d had a hand in creating me, thousands of years ago, was his mortal enemy.
None of it mattered; I had believed him earlier when he said he desired me because of me and not because he was looking to stick it to Lucifer in some way. Kobal was many things, manipulative and spiteful were not among them. He didn’t play games. If he was going after someone, he went after them directly.
Good Intentions (The Road to Hell Series, Book 1) Page 25
