Jaral came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She closed her eyes as she always did then they touched and let herself enjoy the simple pleasure of being near him.
His lips brushed a light kiss against her throat and then he dropped his chin to her shoulder. “Where I come from,” he said, “only the strongest survive. Caring for anyone else is a weakness. But you…”
She turned her head toward him. “But I what?”
“You care about everyone. About people you haven’t even met yet. You’re ready to sacrifice your life for those you love and that doesn’t make you weak. Never have I met another person as strong as you, demon or human.”
She swallowed twice before whispering, “How can you say that?”
He was silent for a long moment. “I only speak the truth,” Jaral declared quietly. “I’m on your side, Darcy. I’m not going anywhere.”
The words rocked her. They were exactly what she wanted to hear, but could she believe them? Could he really be her partner, her ally?
“Do you believe me?”
His question was so quiet she nearly missed it. Did she believe him? If she could answer that question truthfully everything else would fall into place. She stared at the queen bed behind them, a silent taunt. If she believed him, they could be in it in moments. She could cast aside her doubts and trust that he wouldn’t betray her.
Except more than just her life was riding on her decision. How did she balance what she desperately wanted with the world’s best interests?
“Darcy?” he prompted.
She needed an answer but she didn’t have one. “I don’t know,” she whispered, knowing they weren’t the words he wanted to hear.
“What do I have to do?” he asked her, dropping his hands from her body. “Saving your life isn’t enough, clearly. Following you across the country to help you won me no quarter. Forgiving your betrayal leaves you cold. So tell me, hunter, what the hell do I have to do?”
She opened her mouth but no words emerged. He was right. He’d been by her side every time she’d needed him. “I don’t know,” she cried.
Tiny flames exploded in his eyes, a sure sign of his mood.
“You’re a demon,” she tried to explain. “I’ve been told to fear your kind for most of my life.”
“I’ve never hurt you.”
“I know. You’ve been everything I’ve needed you to be.” She shook her head. “But we are so different, Jaral. A minnow doesn’t trust a shark. She doesn’t lo—” She stopped short.
“Doesn’t love one,” he finished for her. “And for you, love and trust go hand in hand.”
She stiffened. “We’re not talking about that. It’s been days only. Be serious.”
“Oh I am,” he replied. “For the first time I think I’m seeing things pretty clearly.” His arm snaked around her waist before he pulled her up against him.
Darcy didn’t struggle, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders.
“You fear the way I make you feel,” he said, his voice low.
“Thinking well of yourself, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “When I touch you—” his hand glided down her spine and she shivered in response, “—I mess with the rules you’ve set up so carefully to protect yourself.”
“Ridiculous.”
“Darling, you are being so…human.”
She arched a brow.
“In your mind, what we have can’t be possible. Feelings like this take time to grow. What should have taken months, years, took days instead and it terrifies you.”
“I want your body. End of story,” she denied.
He cupped her bottom and pulled her close as he rolled his hips. She caught her breath at the sensation.
“I see time differently,” he told her. “When you have centuries, everything is relative. I’ve seen bonded mates together for generations that feel less for their partner than we do. I’ve watched mortals and demons alike search for a mate and settle for so much less than what we could have in a heartbeat.”
“It’s just lust.”
His eyes flashed. “All right. Then after one night it will be out of our systems, correct? This maddening desire will be gone.”
“S-sure.” Except she couldn’t imagine never wanting to touch him.
“Then give us a night.” He smiled one of his rare, true smiles. “And in the morning when I don’t leave you, trust me.”
Darcy reached up. She drew a finger along his strong jaw. Rising on her tiptoes she pressed her lips to the skin she’d just caressed. “Counter-offer. One night and you never mention this again.”
“Don’t you understand yet?” he whispered against her lips. “I will take you any way I can have you.”
His mouth crushed down on hers. Darcy wrapped her arms around him to keep her balance. Jaral had kissed her before, swamped her with passion more times than she should have allowed, but this was different. Any barriers were gone, for one night at least. He wasn’t holding back this time.
His hands encircled her waist, sliding under her shirt to touch skin to skin. Heat flashed through her and she knew it wasn’t because of his magic.
Am I really going to do this? she thought as he eased the material up. His mouth left hers long enough to tug the shirt over her head. When he looked at her, there was no doubt in his eyes, nor triumph. He looked…happy.
Darcy blinked. She’d seen Jaral in many moods but never had she seen him like this. He smiled at her and for a moment she forgot what he was. There was no darkness in his eyes, only joy. And a good deal of lust. He looked younger than he ever had before and it made her love him just a tiny bit more.
Not love, she corrected herself automatically. She might care for him but that was as far as she’d allow it to go.
“You are beautiful,” he said to her.
Pleasure suffused her. Her rules flew from her head at the honesty in his voice. She knew she was far from perfect but in this moment, with his hands on her body and his dark gaze drinking her in, she felt beautiful in a way she never had before.
“I want to see you too,” she whispered, running her hands up his chest.
“Your wish,” he murmured and snapped his fingers. “My command.”
The shirt, vest and weapons decorating his chest shimmered away to nothing, and her fingers touched bare flesh. For once, his show of power didn’t bother her. This was a spell she could certainly see the use for.
“Mmm,” she purred, sliding her fingertips along the contours of his muscles. “Can I do that too?”
His laugh was husky. “No, darling. You didn’t inherit that sort of magic.”
“Too bad.” Her hands trailed down to his waistband. “Looks like I’ll just have to do things the old-fashioned way.”
She slid down his zipper, meeting his eyes. Darcy slipped her hand into his jeans and grinned at his sharp intake of breath when her questing fingers found what they were looking for.
“Perfect,” she whispered, stroking along his erection.
“I think I’m a fan of the old-fashioned way,” he gasped.
“Says the ancient demon.”
He deftly unhooked her bra and cupped her breasts before she could speak. Darcy moaned as he thumbed her hardened nipples.
“With age comes experience.” He pressed a hot kiss against her throat. “I won’t leave you with complaints.”
Impossible, she thought. Jaral was incapable of disappointing her, at least in the bedroom. If she went through with this, how the hell was she going to go back to dating mortal men?
As she pulled him closer, however, she acknowledged there was no going back. She was too far down the rabbit hole and had no intention of climbing back out. Heartbreak might lie in her future but for tonight she wasn’t going to regret a single second.
She pushed his jeans down and helped him kick free of them. Darcy groaned as she stepped back, away from his touch, but she wanted to see what she’d uncovered.
“What?” he murmured.
She shook her head with a smile. “You’re a little intimidating, Jaral. You’re perfect.”
He caught her hand and pulled her back.
“Feel this?” he asked, drawing her fingers along a scar on his upper chest. “A sword during my first battle.” He moved her hand lower to his abdomen. “Gunshot during a raid in your world.” Their hands glided to his hip. “The knife of a lover.” He tipped her face up to his. “I’m far from perfect, Darcy. The years I’ve lived, the mistakes I’ve made…” He shook his head. “I look at you, so fresh and young, and I understand what perfection is. Your bravery.” He dropped a kiss onto her shoulder. “Your strength.” He kissed her neck. “Your stubborn determination to do what’s right.” He cupped her face between his hands and met her gaze. “Don’t you see, Darcy? You are perfect. Perfect for me.”
He kissed her before she could speak. Before she could confess he was perfect for her too. In a way no other man would ever be able to match.
Closing her eyes, she gave herself up to his touch. Her doubts melted away and she allowed herself to simply feel.
Jaral glided her backward toward the bed. Her legs bumped against the footboard a second before he sent her tumbling onto the old mattress.
She laughed as she bounced until she looked up at her lover. He watched her with burning eyes. This time the tiny flames didn’t alarm her. Instead they excited her. They were a sign she was having just as big an impact on him as he was on her. She wanted to see her demon lose control in her arms as she broke apart in his.
He lowered himself to her with a growl. Fingers fought with her jeans buttons and she reached down to help him strip her of her last articles of clothing.
When her jeans and panties dropped over the side of the bed, she scrambled back a bit to get more room.
Jaral crawled after her, not willing to give her any space. His hands gripped her thighs to spread them apart. Darcy expected embarrassment to flood her at the provocative pose but instead she felt powerful. She lay spread beneath his hot gaze and reveled in the power to make those flames in his eyes burn even brighter.
“Mine,” he growled.
She wanted to nod and promise him forever. Only a last tiny piece of sanity kept her quiet.
Jaral lowered his mouth to her stomach. She gasped as his hot breath fanned across her taut abdomen. Reaching above her head, she twisted her hands in the sheets beneath them.
His hands trailed along her thighs, drawing invisible designs on the sensitive flesh.
“More,” he whispered. “I need to taste you.”
“Jaral,” she tried as he pressed his lips to her navel and continued lower. “We don’t have time for that.”
She heard his chuckle. “Make time.”
Darcy opened her mouth to protest again when she felt a finger slide along her slick folds.
“God,” she murmured.
“Not quite,” the demon between her legs purred. “Hold tight.”
She felt his tongue flick out against her clit and she couldn’t hold back her cry. One finger continued to play with her as he sucked the small nub into this mouth. When the digit dived into her she nearly arched off the bed.
“Jaral,” she cried. She clutched his head to her, fingers delving into his dark hair. Every lap of his tongue, every stroke of his finger, sent her higher. Each touch built the orgasm within her. She rocked instinctively against his clever mouth. Teeth grazed her clit and she screamed her pleasure. Jaral knew exactly how to please her.
“More,” she cried. “More, more, more.”
He wasn’t one to make her beg in vain. A second finger joined the first. She writhed beneath him, mindlessly begging for what only he could give her. With a last flick of his tongue and thrust of his fingers she broke apart. Darcy cried out as her orgasm crashed over her, more intense, more consuming than she’d ever felt before. She gripped her lover as sensation roared through her body. If he was this good as an appetizer, how was she going to survive the main course?
When she opened her eyes, Jaral had slid back up her body. He was on his side, watching her with a happy, self-satisfied smile.
“Beautiful,” he said.
She blushed, her body still humming from her climax. “That was amazing.”
His smile turned into a grin. “Anything to please you.” He learned forward to kiss her and she welcomed him gladly. Tasting herself on his lips felt exceedingly intimate. Here she was, feeling more with a man she’d known for a smattering of days than she’d ever had with men she’d dated for months. Maybe Jaral was right. She’d been looking at everything all wrong.
“The sight of you throwing your head back in pleasure is one I want to see for the rest of my life,” he told her.
She glanced up at him, feeling exposed and vulnerable at his words.
Jaral reached out to touch her cheek. “I’ll never get tired of watching you.”
“You don’t know that,” she tried to reason.
He just grinned and shook his head. “Yes, darling. I do.”
Wanting to steer him away from such a personal topic, Darcy reached down. Her fingers found his pulsing cock and encircled him. She smiled as his eyes glazed over in pleasure.
“You were saying?”
“Minx,” he whispered.
Darcy arched a brow.
“Feeling ready for round two?”
She snorted at the question. “I’m pretty much always ready when you’re around.”
“How gratifying,” he replied with a grin. Without another word he rolled on top of her, fitting perfectly between her legs.
She felt him position himself against her entrance and squirmed in eagerness.
Jaral groaned. “Careful, or this will be over before we’re even started.”
“I wouldn’t complain,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “I want to see what you look like in pleasure too.”
He kissed her deep, conveying his happiness at her words. “Later we can play,” he said against her lips. “Right now I need to be inside you.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
Not a damn thing, it seemed. Jaral gripped her hips and thrust forward.
Darcy moaned, arching her back as he drove into her. He was larger than her other lovers and he froze for a moment, allowing her body to grow accustomed to him. Heat poured through her body, igniting a fire only Jaral could quench. She didn’t know if it was his magic or just him and she didn’t care.
“Move,” she begged.
He didn’t need to be told twice. Jaral withdrew almost to the tip before thrust back into her. She cried out and rocked to his motion, meeting every thrust. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold him close as he drove into her. Every movement spread the fire through her. He was unlike anything she’d ever known.
Her climax pulsed inside her, begging to be released. She tilted her hips to take him deeper and groaned with pleasure. Her body reacted of its own will, moving to match his.
She felt his hot, panting breath against her throat. Heard his groans of pleasure.
“More,” she said. Just a little more. She was so close.
“Come with me, love,” he whispered against her skin.
Her body shuddered at the endearment. The word pushed her over the edge and she screamed as her climax crashed down upon her.
Jaral thrust into her frantically before stiffening as he roared his own completion.
Her body writhed with pleasure. Waves of intense sensation thundered down on her. She pulled Jaral to her and gave herself up to a bliss unlike anything she�
��d ever known.
Finally, with her body still twitching in the aftermath, he rolled to her side. She turned her head to watch his ragged breathing. Darcy knew she should say something but words were simply too hard to form.
Jaral rolled his head to meet her gaze. The pleasure in his eyes was undeniable.
“I’m never letting you go,” he vowed.
She smiled but even as the words warmed her heart she knew they spelled trouble.
What was worse, she wanted to say them back to him.
Chapter Eleven
Bracelet in hand, she watched her lover sleep. She hadn’t dosed him with a sleeping potion this time. She’d simply worn him out the old-fashioned way. At her feet, her bag was packed and ready to go. All she needed to do was put on the bracelet and everything would be over. He’d never find her in time. She could close the rift without having to put her faith in him.
The thought cut her to the quick.
She didn’t care if they’d shared one night or a thousand. He was branded into her heart in a way no man ever had been before. And if she left him now, she didn’t think he’d forgive her twice.
Her hands fisted at the thought. She was doing the right thing. Her actions would save lives. Why did that mean she had to give up the one man who matched her perfectly? Surely the cosmic scales were out of balance somewhere. What was being asked of her was beyond unfair. Kerilyn had taken her happily ever after and damned the consequences. Why couldn’t she?
Blake’s image rose in her mind. A man willing to love a woman to distraction no matter what pain it caused. She’d watched love destroy him and here she was, ready to sign up herself?
Duty came first. Once the rift was closed…well, then she’d have time to figure out whatever the hell this was. That is, if Jaral would give her the chance. If their positions were reversed, she wouldn’t.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered so quietly she barely heard her own words.
Her people came first. Always. She needed to make sure they’d be safe.
Demon by My Side Page 13
