“You haven’t a clue.”
My hands found their way under the hem his shirt, my fingers exploring the hard planes of his stomach and his superheated skin. He shuddered under my touch, but otherwise remained like a statue. I ran my teeth along his collarbone. “You could teach me.”
A low growl let me know I was winning the battle. Caius’s hand skimmed up my side, over my shoulder and cupped my chin, forcing me to look at him. His gaze pinned mine. “I need you to be absolutely certain.”
I looked him directly in the eye. I was nervous, but only because I knew he’d probably been with a lot of experienced women over the long span of his life and I’d never done more than read about it in novels. But I also knew what I wanted.
“I’m certain. I want this.” I could feel a blush creeping over my cheeks from being so bold.
Caius searched my gaze for a long moment before he murmured, “If I wasn’t already from there, I would say I’m going to hell for this.”
Whatever he saw in my eyes must have satisfied him because his lips came back to mine with a new intensity. The kiss deepened until it felt like we were melded together. When his hands slipped under the hem of my shirt and scorched their way across my skin, they ignited things inside me only hinted at before and I gasped against his mouth.
What he’d done when teaching me to use fire was nothing like this. If it had been, the idea of me paying attention to any lesson in power use would have been a lost cause.
With one hand, he created a thick blanket that he tossed on the ground. Without breaking the kiss, he scooped me up and laid me on the blanket. Stretched out beside me, he rested his weight on one elbow as he kissed a sensual path along my jaw and down my neck. He paused long enough to yank his shirt over his head before bringing his mouth back to mine. So distracted by his lips and tongue, I barely registered the slight tearing, slicing sound until my shirt fell open and cool night air brushed over my exposed skin.
His hand slid over my stomach as his lips made their way to my bra. My fingers grazed over his superheated flesh. Intoxicated by his scent all around me, I tentatively tasted his skin, desperate to know him, all of him. A low sound of pleasure rumbled in his chest. Emboldened by his response, I began to explore him in the same way he explored me.
My sudden flush of nerves when he unbuttoned my jeans with a flick of his fingers, followed by the deliberate slide of the zipper, was eased by his slow touch and soon only an exquisite, building anticipation filled me. Even when he released the clasp on my bra all I felt was a breathless yearning. His skilled hands and mouth took me places I had only dreamed of.
Piece by piece we shed our clothing and I reveled in the heat of his naked body against mine as he built an inferno inside me, coaxing and demanding at the same time until every nerve ending was hyper-aware of the lightest touch and begging for more. My flushed body screamed for release from the exquisite torture by the time he settled his weight between my thighs.
I sensed the restrained tension within him as he slowly eased inside, drawing a gasp of pure pleasure from me. The sensual play of his muscles flexing against me as our bodies moved in time together magnified the ecstasy. He seemed to know what I wanted, needed, before I knew. He surrounded me, filled my world, as he brought the passion sweeping through me to a scorching peak. I clung to him, my entire body clenched around his as the climax crashed over me. His deep growl of gratification in my ear only made it more intense.
As it slowly faded and my muscles relaxed into a languid state, he began building the pressure within me again, eliciting desperate whimpers from me that he devoured with hungry kisses as I shamelessly conveyed my need. This time, he rose with me. His whole body tensed and he surged deeper as I convulsed around him, my legs wrapped tight around his hips, each of us taking the other to a new height.
We lay still for several moments, slicked in sweat while we caught our breath and a blissful, boneless feeling crept over me. Caius rolled, taking me with him so that I lay in his arms, the blanket cocooned around us. My head rested at the crook of Caius’s shoulder with one of my legs across his hips, his skin hot against the inside of my thigh. A satisfied sigh passed my lips and I murmured, “Thank you.”
A soft chuckle drifted to me. “For what?”
“For tonight. Everyone should have a first time like that.”
“Thank you for letting me be the first to give you that.”
My answer was cut off by a yawn. I wanted to stay awake and talk to him, but after the hours of walking followed by the fight with the Sentinels, and culminating in lovemaking, I had reached my physical and emotional limit. Caius gave me a squeeze. “Go to sleep, Jo.”
As I drifted slowly into slumber, I felt him tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear and place a light kiss on my forehead.
***
“There was no going back from this.” ~Caius
Chapter 12
The next several days passed in a peaceful manner as we drew ever closer to our destination. Long silences often stretched between us, but they were the companionable kind. I got better at creating clothes and when we settled down at night to eat after my nightly lesson in wielding my staff better and hand-to-hand combat, Caius often asked me questions about my mortal life while we shared our food with Amisi. I was happy to tell him of the good years and the good times. But I couldn’t go into my mother’s illness and subsequent death or any of the darker things I had experienced.
I was still snuggled close to Caius one morning when conversation disturbed my sleep. The heat from his naked body surrounded me inside the huge blanket he’d conjured the night before. I drifted somewhere in that blissful state between asleep and awake. The low rumbling of voices drew me closer to awareness.
“What have you done, brother?” I recognized Malik’s voice.
“I think that’s pretty clear, Malik,” Lilly snapped.
So his siblings had found us. Or at least those two. I rather wished they hadn’t. I shifted slightly, pressing closer to Caius. His arms tightened a fraction as if silently asking me to be still. If his brother and sister weren’t there, I wouldn’t have heeded his request. But they were.
“I know it’s obvious,” Malik answered. “The question is why? Caius, you are breaking every law there is.”
Caius snorted. “I, and you two as well, broke the laws when we were born. The same for Jo. If we’re going down, might as well do it thoroughly.”
“You haven’t completed the bond have you?” Lilly’s question came in an almost panicked whisper.
“No.” Caius’s fingers brushed through my hair. “What little information there is about such a thing says it could possibly kill us both.”
Malik gave a heavy sigh. “At least you don’t have to worry about what happened with Nadia. Josephine is too young on this side.”
“A small thing to be thankful for.” Lilly sounded more than a little irritated. “You can have any woman you want in the demonborn part of the city, in the Hells, and even in the mortal world. What is it about this little reaper that makes you take such chances?”
“It won’t do any good to try and talk him out of it, Lilly.” I thought I heard Malik sit down. “You are too young to know, but I have seen him this way before.”
“Not this way,” Caius said. His fingers trailed over my neck making me wonder if squirming a bit more would make him send his siblings away.
After a long silence, Malik said, “No, not quite like this. Which only makes me more certain there will be no changing your mind.”
“Wait,” disbelief laced Lilly’s voice. “Are you saying you love her?”
I held my breath waiting to hear the answer even though I already knew it.
“Enough to set fire to all the laws.”
I melted inside even as Lilly gave an annoyed huff. “Well, that’s just great, brother. And what about the coming war?”
“I will stand in the middle of it and fight at her side.”
I really wished I could see his face,
but I got the feeling he wanted his brother and sister to believe I was still asleep. Maybe they wouldn’t talk as candidly if I was awake, though I don’t think Lilly had much of a filter. I could appreciate that side of her, though. At least I would always know exactly where I stood with her.
“You know what that will mean,” Malik sounded somewhat worried, mostly resigned. “You can’t face the kind of enemies she is going to have, that she already has, with only your demon half.”
“I’m aware of that, as four more Sentinels could attest to. If they still had their heads anyway.”
“In front of her?” Lilly nearly shrieked.
Malik shushed her and Caius said, “It was either that or let them take her.”
Lilly groaned and I could hear her feet whispering through the grass as she paced. “And what of Malik and me?”
“She connected those dots on her own.” Caius’s voice turned soothing. “Don’t worry, Lilly, she isn’t going to run around telling everyone. You are safe. When the arrives that it all comes out, and we knew it would eventually, Malik and I will protect you. It’s a miracle the secret held for long as it has.”
“And what of her?” Lilly asked. “What about when you have to choose to save her or one of us?”
Caius’s silence spoke volumes and Malik sighed again. “I think the answer is rather clear, Lilly.” When she made a disgusted sound, Malik continued, “Don’t hold it against him. It’s been over three hundred years since he’s allowed himself this. And even then, he still put all of us ahead of Nadia.”
“Whatever.” Lilly didn’t sound convinced.
Comfortable though I was, it was getting hard to lay still. Caius seemed to sense that because he cleared his throat and said, “As grateful as I am you two found the stones I left by the portal, could you excuse us for a bit? Jo will likely be waking soon and I don’t think she will be comfortable getting up with you two here.”
“Why?” Lilly sounded truly confused. “They’re just body parts, it’s not like she doesn’t have anything I don’t or that Malik hasn’t seen.”
Malik chuckled as I heard him stand. “Josephine was raised in the mortal world. They have odd perceptions about body parts. And though I may have seen it all before, something tells me Caius wouldn’t appreciate me seeing Josephine displayed in all of her nakedness.”
A low growl answered him and Malik said, “See? Possessiveness is a trait all demonborn have. One day, Lilly, you will find someone who captivates you as much.”
“I doubt it.” Lilly snorted. “I guess we will go back and reassure the others that you are indeed here. Probably a good thing we came on ahead. Rowen would have blown his top if he’d stumbled upon this.”
“Rowen came with you?” I wasn’t sure if Caius sounded wary or prepared for another fight.
“Along with James and that infernal Bethany.” Irritation filled Malik’s voice. “They are quite persistent.”
Caius chuckled. “Is it perhaps that I’m not the only one who has found a new weakness? Does yours wear red hair, Malik?”
“Bethany is an annoyance,” Malik scoffed. “Always underfoot and nearly as flippant as the one you hold.”
“Good luck with that,” Caius said.
“You are both ridiculous.” Lilly’s footsteps were clear as she stomped away.
“I will leave you to whatever morning routines you must attend to,” Malik said. “I will just leave this over here.”
Leave what there? I waited impatiently. After a few minutes, Caius shifted and I opened my eyes to see him looking at me from where he lay propped on an elbow and forgot about whatever Malik had left. “You feign sleep well; I shall have to remember that.”
I smiled and gave a long, languid and much-needed stretch. Caius’s hand slid over the outside of my thigh and cupped my rear as I ran my hand down his chest. “They aren’t happy with you.”
“No, but then I don’t require their approval.”
“How did they find us? What stones were you talking about?”
“Finding Stones.” He watched me as if gauging my reaction. “Any stone will do, you imbue them with your power and leave them on the otherside of a portal. As long as those following you have the stones in their hands when they cross the through it, the portal will place them in exactly the same spot it placed you. They can be used on either side of a portal, which can be beneficial since a portal in the Between will drop you in no specified spot when you cross into the mortal world. Finding stones can anchor a portal.”
“So when you agreed to leave everyone behind in the mortal world, you didn’t really agree?”
“I left the stones in deep snow, there was no guarantee anyone would find them.” He shrugged. “However, I can’t say I’m disappointed they did. We are going to need numbers before this is over. I may be powerful, but I can’t go up against everything on this side of the veil alone.”
I nodded. Traveling just the two of us was nice when things were quiet. But there was more than one time we could have used greater numbers. A vague image from my dreams floated through my mind, sending my thoughts away from his siblings and the need for a larger traveling party. “Can I ask a question?”
“You just did.” A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth even as his molten eyes devoured me and made it difficult to think. “I’m assuming you have another one though.”
I did. It wasn’t one I would have thought of if not for the strange dream I’d awakened from. Or at least probably not for a while. And though I was curious for the answer, I was also a bit embarrassed to ask it and I knew by the heat creeping into my face that it showed.
Caius lifted an eyebrow. “Now I’m intrigued.”
“Well, I read a lot of books and where I know most of it is nothing but silly things, I also know demonborn are the basis for the mortal’s vampire legends. And I was just kind of curious, since in the books…I mean, it’s probably on the same level as sunlight and crosses since there aren’t really vampires, but…” Gods, I sounded like an idiot.
“What in the books makes you curious?”
I knew he’d read more books than I had across every genre, so I shouldn’t have to completely spell it out. “Well, biting and blood drinking. During…you know.” I motioned vaguely at the two of us tangled up together. The rich laugh that erupted from him took me by surprise. “You don’t get to laugh at me.”
Shaking his head, he said, “Jo, we only bite like that to feed on blood, unless we are trying to kill another of our kind. Number one,” he held up one finger, “I can’t take your blood because it would finish the bond. Number two, do you also expect me to eat a cheeseburger while we have sex? It’s the same thing.”
“Food can be sensual, or so I’ve read.”
“Some food can be yes, in the right setting,” he qualified. “But there is nothing sensual about the taking of blood. Demonborn can fog the brain of the one we’re taking it from if we wish, but that is it. They either feel all of the pain, or they feel nothing.” He sighed. “It’s a lot like someone who hasn’t eaten all day being presented with a huge slice of pizza piled high with toppings. It’s going to be messy, it’s going to take both hands, and desire to consume it is overriding other needs. Sex isn’t on the mind of either the taker or the giver.”
It made sense. “I wonder how mortals got that idea in the first place.”
“Because they like to make up stories. And when you don’t believe in the monsters the stories are about, it’s easy to come up with all kinds of traits and weaknesses that don’t exist.” He gave me a lazy smile as his gaze roamed over me. “We should get up.”
I sighed almost wishing it wouldn’t be too immature to pout. “I guess we should.”
“You don’t sound too happy.”
“When I first woke, I was disappointed to find we weren’t alone.”
Caius’s eyes flared molten. “We are now. And there are other kinds of biting that don’t draw blood or leave marks.”
His mo
uth came down on mine as his hands began a slow burn deep inside me. This was the morning I had wanted to wake to.
Later, after we had both conjured new clothes and I had several frustrating moments where I tried and failed before finally remembering how to use my power to cleanse myself, Caius started a fire.
“What’s in the bag?” I asked. It must be whatever Malik had left.
Caius glanced at it. “Armor. Malik was smart enough to take the time to retrieve it before joining us. If I had known how this was all going to unfold, I would have worn mine from the beginning.”
I eyed the bag, trying to imagine Caius in armor. My mind kept coming up with medieval styles. Given the small size of the bag, I knew it couldn’t be chainmail or plate. While Caius speared the meat he’d hunted the night before, I ran my fingers through my hair marveling at how clean and soft it felt. It still didn’t seem possible that I’d achieved it without shampoo and conditioner.
We had just finished eating when Malik and Lilly returned, this time followed by Rowen and two of my friends. Amisi arched her back and hissed. Snatching her large chunk of meat, she dashed away with it before any of them saw her. I missed the cat’s exit as I stared open-mouthed at Lilly and Malik. They were both impressive in the armor they wore. Instead of bulky medieval types, this was streamlined and made me think of something out of a fantasy book. The overlapping panels looked lightweight and easy to move in as if it had been constructed to fit them exactly.
My friends wore their normal reaper cloaks. Rowen looked between Caius and me as if searching for some sign that our relationship had deepened. But Caius stood on the opposite side of the fire from where I sat and I was busy using my power to clean the grease from the roasted meat off my hands.
Bethany flopped down beside me, although she said nothing as James sat on my other side. Her silence might as well have been shouting. I sighed and said, “Let me have it.”
She glowered at me. “How could you just take off and leave us behind?”
“Let’s at least make sure she’s all right before we tear into her,” James said. “You are okay, right?”
Betrayed (Raven Daughter Book 2) Page 9
