by Leia Shaw
Kissing as we went, he moved to her ear. “Do you love me, cariad?”
“No,” she blurted then kicked herself. Her mind was too hazy to remember what she was supposed to say. And he was too…fucking distracting.
One finger delicately outlined her breast. “But you want to be with me,” he commanded rather than asked. He pinched her nipple then caressed the pain away.
“Yes.”
He smiled and grabbed her breast, letting it fill his hand.
“James,” she breathed. “No more questions. Just touch me. Please.”
“One more question.” He lowered his mouth to her breast at the same time as he slid his hand down between her legs. But he barely touched her. Instead he drew circles lazily with a finger over her panties – teasing, tormenting.
God, she wanted to kill him. First screw him then kill him.
“Do you want to come home with me?” he finally asked, his voice dripping with buttery seduction.
“Yes. Anything. Just…please.” She bucked her hips against his, yearning for contact.
A sinful smile broke across his face. “That’s my girl.”
Wait. What did she just agree to?
Before she could ask for clarification about that last pesky little question, he flipped her over and dragged her to the edge of the bed.
“Ah, Sage,” he said standing behind her, “you make it too easy with these skirts.”
Her skirt went up and her fishnets went down. She was still helpless with her hands cuffed behind her back, but she knew from experience, he was good at giving her what she needed.
He fingered the edge of her black lace panties. “These please me, cariad.” He dipped two fingers under her panties and between her folds.
She gasped. Pleasure rocked through her body until she thought she might come apart.
Her underwear disappeared and he thrust into her wetness. She hadn’t even heard him unzip his pants. All it took was a few drives of his cock into her g-spot and she went over the edge. Stars studded her vision as she cried out.
Moments later, panting and coming down from the high, she heard James chuckling.
“My little sorceress is lusty,” he whispered then bit her earlobe sharply.
She yelped and the small pain sent a new wave of arousal through her. With one hand placed on the small of her back, pinning her in place, he moved in and out of her.
The bed banged against the wall and with every sharp thrust, their skin slapped together lusciously. Their sex was loud and violent, just as she’d expected.
Her moans and cries grew louder. James flipped her over seamlessly and continued pumping into her with enough force to make her teeth clatter. This was no gentle lovemaking. This was passionate, vengeance sex.
He brought two palms down onto the bed on either side of her head and looked into her eyes. She closed them to shield herself.
“Open your eyes,” he ordered. “Look at me.”
She did.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his voice turned velvety. “Keep your eyes on me.”
His normally perfect features were shimmering with sweat. Combined with his ragged overgrown beard, he looked sexier than ever.
He leaned forward and grabbed her face possessively with one hand. “You are mine, Sage. Do you understand me? Mine!”
Butterflies danced through her body.
“Now come with me, cariad.”
James roared out loud, taking his release at the same time as Sage screamed into his chest for hers.
He plopped down on top of her, catching his breath. They lay like that for a moment – sweaty, panting, riding out the wave of pleasure. He pushed up on his arms, rose above her then planted wet kisses all over her face.
When he unlocked the handcuffs, she stretched her sore arms and got up from the bed. She pulled down her shirt then bent over to fix the rest of her clothing.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” he asked.
She blinked at him. “Getting dressed.”
A slow, wicked smile curled his lips. “Uh-uh. You’re not done.” He locked his arm around her waist and he dragged her across the bed until she was underneath him again then ripped through her shirt. Her breasts were exposed before she could utter a protest.
“No, James,” she said desperately, trying to push him off. “I can’t take anymore.”
He took both her wrists in one hand and set his face inches from hers. “Three days, cariad,” he said, reminding her of the cave. “You will take more.”
In seconds, he had her completely naked.
She opened her mouth to protest, but James took a firm hold of her thighs, pressed them open and stared. Her body lit on fire, tingling with lust. He ogled her while licking his lips. She knew where he was going with that tongue. She would have begged for it if she wasn’t spent already.
Light burst into her palm and he grabbed her wrist again and squeezed.
“Don’t make me put the handcuffs back on,” he warned.
“No more,” she whispered weakly.
He put up a finger to shush her. “Sometimes, cariad, I know what you need better than you do.”
She let out a soft whimper when his thumb rolled over a nipple at the same time as one on her clit. This was going to be a long night.
Chapter 20
James woke in a haze of ecstasy. He rolled over, patting the bed for a lumpy figure that resembled his mate. He’d half expected her to run away again, but she was there, nestled into the covers, her chestnut hair spilling onto her pillow. He fingered through her hair, enjoying the steady beat of her heart and the rise and fall of her chest.
The peaceful slumber was a contrast to their fiery duel the night before. But she’d been perfect, laid out before him like an offering he didn’t deserve. Open and trusting. And she gave as good as she got. Once he’d freed her from the handcuffs and took her over the edge more times than he could count, she’d had her own revenge.
He chuckled, remembering the sharp pain of her little teeth on his flesh. The little brat. Just thinking about it had him hard again.
Filled with the sudden urge to hold her, to run his fingers over her delicate skin, he reached out and pulled her naked body into his.
Mine, his heart told him. The thought had surprised him last night. He’d never felt possessive of a single person before. But now, as he held her tight against his bare chest, their legs intertwined, and her scent marking his body, he’d never been so sure of anything in his entire life.
Sage was his. Forever.
Her eyes fluttered open and she shifted her body to see him.
“You have no idea how heavenly this is for me,” he told her, burying his nose in her hair and dropping a leg possessively on top of hers. He trailed a hand lightly up her bare thigh to cup her backside in his palm.
She blinked. “We need to talk.”
“Talking is not what I had in mind.” His hand moved from her cheek inward heading between –
“James,” she pleaded softly.
His heart skipped a beat. It would be hard to refuse her from now on.
“Please.”
The somber edge to her voice worried him. “What is it, beautiful?”
She sat up and covered herself with the sheet. “I may have promised something last night that I can’t follow up on.”
He frowned. Don’t say it, Sage. Don’t you dare say it.
“I can’t leave with you.” She rose quickly from the bed while he was too distracted to stop her.
He studied her face as she grabbed clothing off the floor. She looked genuinely sorry, but he knew enough not to let her fool him. She was an expert liar and manipulator. Blood rushed to his head as his ire grew.
He burst off of the bed. “Damn it, Sage! We had a deal!” His bellow echoed across the room.
She slipped on another black skirt, a longer one than last night, which pleased him. He was the only vampire that needed to see those luscious curves. The lacy
red top she pulled over her head, he was less happy about.
“I know. And I’m sorry.” She turned to face him. “But are you really that surprised?”
He should’ve kept her handcuffed and left with her last night. It was too late now. He pulled his clothing on, still dirty from the last few days of travel then paced the confines of her room at a speed that literally wore down her carpet.
He’d worked too hard to let her go without a fight. Maybe she’d hate him for a while, but it was time for her to learn who was boss. With a deep breath, he paused in front of her.
“You’re leaving this place with me today, Sage.” he told her grimly. “I’m not losing you again.”
She rolled her eyes despite his firm tone. Obviously, she hadn’t understood him last night when he’d said she was his.
“Where, James?” She folded her arms over her chest. “Caerwyn? Do you really think they’ll accept me? Two-thirds of me they hate.”
Fuck. She was right. He couldn’t take her home – not to his homeland. But maybe Caerwyn wasn’t his home anymore. Maybe Sage was.
“We don’t need Caerwyn,” he finally told her. “We can go back to Massachusetts. I’ll teach. You can do whatever you want. I won’t meddle, I swear to it. But I won’t stay here.”
Cold determination flared in her eyes. “Then leave,” she said flippantly. “But I have to stay.”
“Why?”
She gave him a level glare. “Because it’s my destiny.”
She had to be bloody joking. He waited for her to laugh, or flash a teasing smile, but neither came.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he snapped. “You make your own destiny.”
“I want to stay.”
“You want to stay? Why would anybody want to stay here? It’s the foulest place I’ve ever been. Might as well be dead and in hell, for all its worth.”
Her face flushed. “See, that’s just your problem, James. You’re too fucking good for anyone! And you’ll never love anyone but your own damn self!”
It felt like she’d slid a knife in his heart. Anger grew. He stalked toward her, but she didn’t back down. “Who do you think you are telling me who I will or won’t love?” The mirror on the wall shook at his bellow. “Do you honestly think I can stay here? With the Dark King who turned me into this!” His fangs lengthened. “Think that will work out, do you? You selfish, inconsiderate –”
“Pious, son-of-a –”
“You belong here with him!”
“So do you!”
Before he realized what he was doing, his hand wrapped around her throat and he pushed her against the wall. “Take it back.”
“No!”
He gave her a little shake. “Take it back!”
“Fuck you! And fuck all your uptight, self-righteous motherfucking sorcerers!”
He moved his hands to her shoulders and shook her harder.
She screamed, “Stop it! He’s gone. He’s dead. Stop!”
He froze with his hand back on her throat. “Who’s gone?”
She shoved her hair back from her red, sweaty face. “Cadmael. He’s dead.”
“How?”
“Me. I killed him.”
Emerald, doe-eyes stared up at him from under thick lashes, her fangs bit into her lip where a drop of blood pooled. Her pulse fluttered under his hand – the hand now wrapped around her tiny throat.
What the fuck was he doing?
He yanked his hand away as if he were touching a hot stove. “Fuck.”
Pacing irritably in front of her, he ran a hand over the back of his neck. He’d never been so furious in all his life. She was turning him inside out. Everything he thought he knew about the world was turned upside down because of her.
He never lost his temper like that. The only excuse he had was temporary insanity brought about by severe emotional turmoil.
Hurt. He’d never truly known the emotion. Physical pain, yes, but never the kind of pain that goes with giving a woman your heart then watching her squeeze every last drop of blood from it. For some reason, it was that kind of pain that made him want to murder somebody far more than a broken bone or torn flesh.
But looking down at the small brunette he’d just claimed as his, he knew he’d give her his heart again the moment she asked.
Trembling, he held his hand out toward her. She flinched back.
“No, I –” He broke off with a choking sound as a lump of emotion lodged in his throat. After a long sigh, he said, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
She eyed him warily.
“Come here, anwylyd. Please.”
She slid her hand in his. He didn’t move for a moment, just concentrated on the feeling of her soft skin against his. He’d choked her, shaken her, screamed at her, insulted her, yet she came to him, willingly, taking one small step toward reparation. Her faith humbled him. He didn’t deserve her.
He swallowed hard then pulled her into his chest, holding her so tight against him he hoped she could breathe because there wasn’t a force in this world that could make him let her go right now. His eyes watered and a sob escaped his throat.
She held him just as eagerly. Her arms wrapped around his torso, squeezing hard while her fingers dug into the skin on his back.
He kissed the top of her head over and over. “I’m sorry, love.” His breath hitched. “I’m so sorry.”
His shirt was wet with her tears. In a small voice, she asked, “Why do I feel like I’d be lost forever without you?”
He cupped her face, holding her head against his chest, wanting every last one of her tears to dry on his shirt. “Hell if I know, cariad.” He stared out the window at the desolate Underworld forest. “Hell if I know.”
Chapter 21
“An unnamed favor?” Sage asked Gethin, the infamous Red Dragon of Wales. “That’s a little vague. You could demand my first born or some shit like that.”
James itched to pull her behind him, but he didn’t dare. She’d made him promise he wouldn’t interfere. It went against every instinct, but promising not to meddle didn’t mean he wouldn’t be within arm’s reach though, ready to sweep her away the moment the situation became life-threatening.
It was starting to look that way already. Gethin, like most dragons, was scary as hell.
He smiled and answered, “That’s a risk the Dark King was willing to take. If you want the door to stay open, you’ll have to take the same risk.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I’m not really good with the whole random IOU thing, so we’re going to have to just go ahead and nail something down now.”
His heart sped and he tried to warn her with his eyes not to anger the dragon.
Gethin’s smile didn’t fade but his eyes flashed yellow, a hint of the terrifying beast beneath.
Sage merely arched a brow and continued, “So, how about you keep working for me and I pay you whatever the going rate is for dragon door guardians? And, as a bonus, I won’t let anymore evil demons out to cause hell on earth and get you in trouble with whatever god left you in charge.”
The dragon’s eyes flared again and just when James thought he was going to shift, he burst out with a roaring laugh and waved a dismissive hand in Sage’s direction.
“Fuck all,” he murmured to himself. “I don’t have time for this. All right, Queen,” he gave her a mocking bow, “payment is due at the beginning of the month.” He turned his attention to James. “You might want to teach her some manners, vampire. Little girls who talk back to dragons get gobbled up.” After one last smile, he disappeared.
Sage had held her own against a three thousand year old dragon. Why he’d ever thought her incapable of anything was beyond him.
“Well,” she said, letting out a shaky breath. “Now that that’s done, let’s go home.”
Sage had brought out James’ vampire side more than he ever thought possible the last few days he’d been with her in the Underworld. He’d hated himself for so long he didn’t think he would ever fe
el comfortable with his fangs. Or his bloodlust. But Sage could sate it. Drinking from her was almost worth the last century and a half of misery.
Caerwyn was starting to feel less like home. His time in Massachusetts seemed like a hazy dream. But Sage was as real as real could be – vibrant, alive, sometimes maddening, but always real.
He took her hand, intertwining their fingers as they strolled through the forest trees toward Rheol Hearn. She’d been queen only a few weeks and already the dead trees were sprouting green leaves again.
“You were brilliant,” he told her. “But I can’t say I liked the experience.”
She chuckled. “Sorry. You’ll have to get used to it though. I am the queen.”
“Yes, I know,” he said on a sigh. “But perhaps you could hire me as your bodyguard. I’m also good at military strategy. And I’d like to think I could give you advice now and then.”
She tapped her chin. “Hmmm. I was thinking I’d keep you as a sex slave.”
“Sex slave, huh?” Without warning, he tackled her to the ground.
She yelped in surprise.
“Then I better do my job.”
***
On a rare patch of green grass, she laughed as James kissed her all over in a frenzy of silliness. He pulled her into his chest, wrapping both arms around her shoulders. She nuzzled him then playfully bit his nipple over his shirt then gasped when he slapped her ass.
The last week had been tense for both of them. They hadn’t quite healed from the hurtful words they’d slung at each other in a fit of temper. But she was proud of James. He’d promised to be open minded about the Underworld. Even though it was hard for him to move past his hatred and prejudice, once she’d explained what had happened, he’d reluctantly agreed she couldn’t leave.
He still might only consider her job there temporary, but at least he’d made some headway. It would be a long, hard journey for both of them, but one she had a feeling would be worth it.
“I can’t believe you came for me,” she said dreamily. “I thought you’d hate me after I left you in that cave.”
“Oh, I was plenty mad, cariad. I had all sorts of torturous plans for revenge.”
