The Kiss of Death

by Auryn Hadley

  But Nick was on a roll. "It was not a request, Sam. Stay the hell out of her way, but close enough that you can see if any of those feathered fucks are closing in. What part of that wasn't clear? Now where the hell is she?! I need to –"

  I wasn't going to sit and listen while he ripped Sam a new one. Pushing myself to my feet, I peeked my head out the door and met Nick's eyes. "I'm right here."

  He froze mid-rant. "Oh."

  With a smile, Sam passed over my cup. "You two want to take this to, say, the library? Or should Luke and I ditch our game so you can scream in here?"

  "Where's the library again?" I asked, giving Sam an apologetic look.

  He jerked his head behind him. "Hall, left at the kitchen, far side, then right. Your bag's beside the couch."

  "Thanks, but I don't need it yet." Then I glanced at Nick. "Coming?"

  He threw up his hands, but he did follow. I almost found the right way, too. Almost. I forgot I had to go through the attached prep room, but Nick caught my elbow and steered me the rest of the way. What he didn't do was say a thing, not until we were behind closed doors and out of earshot.

  "You scared the shit out of me, you know that?" he asked.

  "Mm." I sipped my coffee as I crossed to one of the empty shelves. I used it to hold my cup, refusing to look at the way his muscles were bunched up with tension. I did not need to get distracted. "Well, this guy I know said I should take the weekend to think about it. So, I thought, then I ended up with questions, and I figured the answers were here. Made sense to come ask. Never mind that you told me to act like it was any normal day."

  "And coming to talk to demons is normal for you?" he shot back.

  "Yeah, pretty much." I dared him to deny it.

  For a long time, he stared at me. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Nick nodded. "Ok, you're right. I'm sorry."

  "Why were you pissed? What's going on that you're not telling me?"

  He chuckled wryly. "A war." A shake of his head proved that was a lame joke. "They're converging, dove. Four years ago, an angel saw you and knows exactly what you are, and I have no idea if he's awake and talking again. At best they're making a wild guess. At worst?"

  I could make a good guess. "They're looking for me."

  He nodded.

  "Ok, so what can we do about that?"

  Shoving one hand into his long hair, he turned and paced a few steps. "Thursday night, you asked me to unmake you. You threatened to have Sam do it if I wouldn't. A few seconds later, you act like you're ready to dive right in and start fighting at my side. I don't know which one to believe."

  "All of it! I say what I think, ok? Call it a lack of filter or whatever makes you happy. The thing is, I was talking without all the facts. In order to protect my poor little human sensitivities, you've kinda made me jump to a few conclusions. That's why I'm here!"

  "And maybe I don't want you to get hurt. Has that ever crossed your mind? If they had any idea what you could do, hurt would be the least of your problems. Never mind what I could do to you."

  "Break me? Yeah. I get it. You're this big strong demon, able to crush boulders with your ass or something. Luke gave me a demonstration with his coffee mug. The thing is, Nick, I'm still not scared of you."

  "You should be."

  "But I'm not." I stepped right into his face. "The only thing I'm scared of is that you're just using me. That you don't feel a damned thing for me, you just want this crazy ability I have. Is that it? Because if it is, speak up now. I'm pretty used to getting dumped. If that's what you're planning, tell me so I can have my little pity party and get my mind back in the game to learn this shit."

  He grabbed my arms, staring right into my face. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

  "You all but chased me off this weekend. You go from asking me for a kiss to vanishing for years at a time. Just tell me, right now, is there really anything between us, or is it all just in my head?"

  "Damn it, woman," he growled. "How could you even think that?"

  "Think what? That you were into me? It's pretty much the human reaction to making out like we've been."

  "That I'm not!"

  I paused. "What?"

  He moved closer. Our bodies were damned near touching. Then he bent to look right in my eyes. "You make me fucking crazy, Sia. I can't think about anything else when you're around. When you're not, I worry they've found you. Fuck. I'm supposed to be your teacher. To let you make your own decision about what to do with your abilities, but to do that, I have to keep my damned hands off you. Unfortunately, I tried to stay away from you and I couldn't. What part of that is hard to understand?"

  "Really?" I asked, my voice coming out as a whisper.

  "For the first time in my life," he said, so close his breath caressed my cheek, "I've found there's one thing I can't stand waiting for. But I'm trying to be a damned gentleman, Sia. I'm trying to treat you like you deserve."

  I tilted my head just enough to meet his dark eyes. "You don't have to. I don't want to lose my powers. I don't want to be normal. Most of all, Nick, I don't want whatever this is between us to be just in my mind. I just want to know you actually want me."

  The response was his mouth crashing into mine as one of his hands tangled in the hair at the back of my neck. I kissed back, grabbing a fistful of his shirt to keep him from escaping, but this time he wasn't leaving. Nick pulled me closer until our bodies touched everywhere. His other hand was on my lower back, lifting me into him. He wasn't gentle. He didn't tease me. Oh no, he kissed me until I was breathless, savoring my mouth as if it already belonged to him. Those strong hands pressed into my flesh, proving that escape was not an option.

  I didn't mind at all.

  When I gasped for breath, he pulled back just enough to see my face. "You're my Muse. My girl. My miracle. I've worked so hard to keep my hands off you, and you just come storming in here, throwing it back in my face?"

  "Nick..."

  "No, this time you listen, little dove. I gave you the chance to take it slow, but you're begging to crawl into bed with a demon. Do you have any idea what that means?"

  I couldn't help myself. A devious little smile took over my smart-ass mouth. "A really big dick?"

  "Attached to a monster. The one thing you haven't yet thought about is what happens when you can walk between worlds. What happens when the beast that wants you isn't the pretty little human man you see now. I'm a demon, Sienna. A real demon, not a fluffy, cuddly thing that has a heart at the end of its tail!"

  "Then I'd say it's a good thing I like blue, huh?"

  He smiled, finally looking like the demon he claimed to be. "Yeah. It's a damned good thing. By the way, I hate mini-golf." Then his mouth was on mine again.

  Chapter 17

  He groaned and pressed me back, more powerful than I'd expected. Together, we crashed into the library wall, rattling the shelf that held my coffee. He didn't care. His lips crushed mine, his tongue making love to my mouth, and I never wanted him to stop. Pressing my body into his, I moaned softly as I writhed against him. He groaned to match. This crazy life of mine made absolutely no sense, but I'd wanted Nick since I first saw him. Resisting him was as impossible as expecting iron to avoid a magnet.

  When his lips moved to my neck, I leaned my head back. The hand in my hair tightened, holding me there, and he paused. With his mouth hovering just above my skin, he held me trapped, and I made no move to resist. Lightly, the tip of his tongue tickled the tendon. Then he kissed. That became a nip. My pulse thrummed in the pit of my stomach, and I could feel the moisture between my legs, but he was taunting me, proving I couldn't do a damned thing to stop him.

  I didn't want to. "Please," I begged.

  "Not here," he said, pulling himself from my grasp. Before I could reply, he slid an arm beneath me, lifting me all too easily. "Just don't let me hurt you," he whispered.

  "You won't."

  He made it upstairs quickly, carrying me as if I weighed nothing. Walking to one of t
he many doors on the long hall, he pushed it open with his back. I caught a glimpse of soothing blues before he closed it again, leaving us awash in darkness. Gently, he laid me on the bed and followed me down. I opened my knees to make room for the width of his hips, welcoming his body against mine. One of his strong arms held his weight off me.

  "God, I want you," he breathed, then kissed me.

  That was exactly what I wanted to hear. Gripping the back of his head, I held him close, showing him what I wanted. My legs pressed against his thighs, locking him between my thighs. His hand traveled down my body, tracing along my ribs to my hip, making me feel so small and delicate beneath him. Sexy. Desirable. Even wanton. So many times, I'd felt like I was just the easiest option, but that wasn't the case with Nick. He touched me like he wanted nothing else. His mouth moved down my throat, tasting my skin, kissing every inch of my neck with a desire I'd never felt from a man.

  I surrendered to it, arching my body into him, grasping at his broad shoulders through the soft shirt to hold him closer. I needed more, wanted everything. Nick turned me on like no other man. I had to kiss his chest, to touch it. Yanking the hem of his shirt free of his pants, my hands slid beneath, feeling the skin at his waist. Slowly, I let them roam. Men like him were what women dreamed of. I'd never expected it to happen though. Oh, I'd wanted this, fantasized about it even, but never honestly believed he would actually feel the same way about me.

  My palms caressed the ridges of his abs and kept moving higher, making him suck in a breath. Then down, exploring the feel of him, trying to identify the imperfections I couldn't see. He was amazing. I'd waited so long to be here, with him, like this – and it was finally happening.

  My mouth teased one nipple through the cloth of his shirt, then kissed the flat muscle above it as I sought his mouth. He met me halfway with a growl deep in the back of his throat. Damn, this man could kiss, but I wanted more. Sucking at his lips, tangling my tongue with his, I let my hands find their way down until my fingers tripped over the waistband of his jeans. That's what I wanted. I fumbled at the buckle of his belt, hoping to sneak inside.

  He chuckled, breaking our kiss. "If you do that, I won't stop."

  My answer was breathy. "I don't want you to stop."

  "Thought you had questions."

  I smiled in the darkness. "Only because I didn't think this would happen. Questions can wait."

  The words removed his resistance, and he pressed his hips into me, rock hard through the fabric – and it felt so damned good. His mouth sucked at my neck as his hand slid under my back. Then he shifted, rolling over, pulling me above him. With me trapped on his lap, he sat up, but his hands were still moving. Taking his time about it, he guided my shirt higher, giving me every chance to stop him. What the stupid demon couldn't understand was that I was the one in charge here.

  I grabbed the hem and wrenched the fabric over my head, tossing it out of reach. As the shirt fell away, he paused. I could see dim reflections in his dark eyes as he slid first one bra strap from my shoulder, then the other, drinking in everything as I reached back to release the clasp. The material dropped into my lap.

  Nick sighed softly, the same sound people make when viewing a great work of art. It wasn't one I was used to hearing in the bedroom. Gently, tenderly, his strong hands moved to my ribs, meeting the swell of my breasts, his thumbs trailing higher. Slowly, the pads drifted across my nipples, making the flesh tighten almost painfully. Then he did it again, the feeling so exquisite.

  "God," I whimpered.

  "You don't need God," Nick promised, his hands worshiping my body. I bucked on his lap, unable to stop myself. "Just me, Sia. I'm the only god you'll ever need to know."

  Again he rolled, tossing me onto my back, sliding the last of my clothing down over my hips before he reached for his own. His mouth kissed a line from my jaw to my navel as he eased back. The sound of fabric rustling on skin filled the room when he tugged his arms free of his shirt.

  His touch was like fire, sparks igniting beneath his mouth, but it wasn't enough to distract me from the marks across his body. The trickle of light from the street was just enough to see them. Every curve of every muscle on his torso was branded with a symbol, like proof of his perfection, begging my eyes to see them all.

  He moved away, breathing heavy. His eyes were filled with a need so intense I couldn't describe it. I lay there, panting, afraid he was going to stop again, and watched his hands slowly work the button of his pants. He raked his eyes across my naked body and bent his mouth to my ankle, dark hair pooling on the bed. His pants made a soft thud when they met the floor, but his mouth didn't stop. It moved along the outside of my leg, over my hip as he crept closer, up my ribs, until his tongue found one nipple, his hand the other.

  I arched into it, moaning, hoping he wouldn't stop, feeling his lean, hard hips against my thighs. "Nick," I pleaded.

  Releasing my breast, he moved to my mouth. His lips found mine for only a quick caress, then he paused. "That's not really my name." I could feel him right there, pressing into my cleft.

  "It is now," I promised.

  "And when you learn the other?"

  I shifted, sliding my dampness against him. "I can guarantee the repercussions won't be as bad as the ones you'll get if you leave your woman this frustrated for much longer. Stop being a god damned gentleman, Nick. Shut up and fuck me."

  He huffed a chuckle as he tilted his hips, prodding me, slowly pushing in. I sucked in a breath and tried to impale myself, but the demon caught my waist in his hand. Holding me there, he took his time, teasing me with every inch until I was mewling for more. Then he thrust.

  For all I knew, I was surrendering my soul, but I didn't care. He felt so damned good, filling me as his rock-hard body pinned me to the mattress. I didn't believe in sin, didn't care about judgment. My life had been full of both. What I wanted was this, the man of my dreams entwined with me, slowly withdrawing just to slide a little deeper.

  He kissed me, his tongue demanding my complete attention, and slid into me again, over and over, driving my body higher, teasing every nerve in my core. I clung to him, nails gouging his back, my voice tinting each gasp of air, thinking of nothing but the swell of pleasure building inside, wanting to have all of him.

  "You feel so good," he whispered into my ear. "So damned good."

  His voice was pure seduction, demanding that I surrender to it. I now knew the sound had nothing to do with angels. It was better. Made for temptation, and I had succumbed. I was finally with him, and our slick bodies ground together in perfect harmony. A cry of desire escaped my lips, smothered with his mouth, and his hips drove me to places I'd never experienced.

  Slowly, deeply, tenderly, Nick caressed every sensation from me that my body could handle, filling me with pleasures I hadn't even known were possible. Worries about what the guys downstairs would think and caring about the sound of my passion vanished as my body worshiped him, every nerve completely under his control.

  Over and over he thrust, and I took it all, delicate skin stretched taut with the size of him, sensitive nipples wonderfully tormented as they brushed against his chest. Each stroke sent flames along my nerves, burning away my restraint, quenched only by the sweat on our skin, until, with a throaty gasp, my body found release. I came, clenched hard against him. My eyes pressed closed to focus on the waves of pleasure running through me as he grunted in the back of his throat.

  A few more strokes rode me to the end, then he shuddered as he came. When he tensed, our eyes met, holding each other for that one moment, just long enough to make this feel real, like it meant something before he relaxed. His head dropped to my shoulder, his elbows holding his mass off me while we both sucked back long gasps of air.

  Languidly running my fingers down the mass of hair laying against his neck, I savored the moment, feeling so complete lying in the arms of my demon. The last flutters of my release passed as I caught my breath, but I just wanted to hold him, to be close like
this for one second longer.

  It took a while before he shifted, kissing me as he withdrew. Then he moved to lie beside me on the bed. Nick took a long breath, chuckling in the middle. "That was not quite what I had planned for tonight."

  "Oh?" I rolled onto my side to look at him. "And what was my big demon supposed to be doing?"

  "Yours?" He scooted closer, reaching up to palm the back of my head.

  I nodded under his hand. "I think screwing me means you're officially my boyfriend. Or do you disagree?"

  "Mm. I do like the screwing part. The boyfriend part sounds interesting, too." His smile sparkled in the dim light. "And I can only guess that if I refuse, I won't be allowed to do that again, huh?"

  "Exactly."

  "Well, you drive a hard bargain, but it seems you have a deal, little dove. And I'm going to tell Luke to stop teaching you bad habits. The last thing I need to worry about is making deals with you."

  I poked at his ribs, making him flinch back. "I will have you know that my bad habits are all natural, big boy."

  He caught my wrist. "Sia? Did I hurt you?"

  "Do I act like I'm hurt?"

  "No, but..." He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. "I've never been with a human before. Sam said if we're not careful, it can hurt the first time."

  With a laugh, I sat up. "You..." I couldn't finish without laughing again. "Nick, you're not the first guy I've slept with. Hate to break it to you."

  "No, but..."

  "And you were gentle. Trust me. I can take a whole lot more than that."

  Another flicker of that smile appeared. "Yeah?"

  "Oh yeah."

  He released my hand and caught my hip, pulling me against him. Lying side by side on the soft mattress, he just looked at me, drinking in the moment. I didn't mind. It made me feel like I might matter for more than just right now, like this immortal creature beside me might even remember me when I was long gone.

  "Help me get this right?" he asked.

  "Get what right?"

  "Us." His eyes flicked between mine. "You're not like any woman I've met before, on any world, and I'm a demon. I forget and do dumb-ass things. I can barely keep track of the rules you humans live by, and I'm going to make a mistake, but I don't want to lose you, little Muse. I want to keep you safe, make you powerful, and show you all of the wonders I've seen and, for the first time, I think it's possible. I think I've finally found someone who won't expect me to live a lie to make her happy."