Sadiq yanked him forward and rammed him against the house again before releasing him. He backed off, but not far.
Jericho tilted his head back, banging it against the wall. “When she pretended to be on her grandmother’s side, I believed her and played possum. I should have known she was trying to trick Svetlana. I should have trusted her, but I didn’t, and she was stabbed. Could have died. That’s on me.”
A hint of floral combined with the sweet scent of woman filled his nostrils. Shoving away from the house, he swung around to face the front porch. Karina had come outside and had heard everything.
Sadiq, the bastard, had to have known that. This was the second time he’d managed to pull something like this.
“Is that why you’ve stayed away?” When she didn’t come any closer, he took a step toward her, unable to stop himself, but paused when she took one back. She wrapped her arms around herself, closing herself off physically and emotionally.
“It’s my fault you were hurt.” There was no way she could ever absolve him of that crime. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, grateful when his friend stepped into the shadows. Surprisingly, though, Sadiq stayed nearby. To protect Karina from him or him from her?
“Let me get this straight,” she began, her voice tinged with annoyance. The anger added some much-needed color to her cheeks.
Starved for every scrap of information about her, he noted she was wearing jeans, something he’d never seen on her before. They were faded, but that was by design and not actual wear. Still, they looked good on her. Spotlighted by the outside lamp, she appeared every inch a warrior queen, a woman.
His woman.
“We’d only known each other for a matter of days. You’d kidnapped me and planned to kill me. We’d had a sexual relationship, but that didn’t negate my history.”
He flinched slightly when she called what had happened between them a sexual relationship. It was much more than that. He took another step forward, pulled toward her by some invisible force, unable to resist the call to be near her now that she was in front of him.
“I should have protected you.” And that was what had been eating at him ever since.
She tilted her head to one side. “Why?”
“Why?” he echoed.
“Yes, why? It made sense that you’d believe I’d side with Svetlana over you, that she’d been able to use magic on me, especially since you’d been drugged and probably weren’t thinking clearly.”
She was giving him an out, but he couldn’t take it. He needed to be honest with her, to purge the burden he’d carried with him since that bloody day. “I was aware enough. I believed you when you said you were on her side. I wasn’t sure if it was magic or not.”
“So what?”
He could only stare at her in disbelief. “So what?” he parroted. “I should have known better.” Great, now he was yelling at her. That should help.
“No, you shouldn’t have known better.” Karina sighed and rubbed her forehead. She looked tired. Worse, she looked defeated. “Trust is something you couldn’t afford. Not when it wasn’t just your life at stake.”
Her understanding stunned him. “But you protected me.” The words were whispered but seemed somehow louder than if he’d yelled them. This incredible human woman had protected him, in spite of how he’d treated her, in spite of his mistrust.
“I had to.”
The simplicity of her words brought him to his knees. Dropping to the ground, he lowered his head. “I don’t deserve you.”
“That’s too bad, because I think I deserve you.”
He jerked his head up and stared. While she didn’t seem angry any longer, he detected sadness and a deep hurt.
“Karina.”
“Don’t say anything unless it’s something I want to hear. I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” She disappeared inside the house, leaving him still on his knees.
“You going to stay there, or are you going to follow her and grovel?” Sadiq asked.
Jericho climbed to his feet, his eyes glued to the open door. Did she want him to go after her?
“If you don’t want her, one of us will claim her.”
Sadiq’s matter-of-fact statement brought his dragon side roaring to life. He spun around, ready to attack his friend, but managed to yank himself back under control at the last second. “You wouldn’t. You don’t even like her.”
“No, I didn’t trust her. Now I do. She’s an amazing woman.” He could hear the admiration in Sadiq’s voice and growled in challenge. His friend ignored him and continued, “I know Enoch is taken with her. Khalil likes her well enough, but I don’t think he’d issue a challenge.”
“She. Is. Mine.” The words were out of his mouth before he could stop to think. It really was that simple and that complex. No matter their past or history, they belonged together.
“Bastard,” he muttered. He knew his friend well enough to understand Sadiq had been pushing his buttons on purpose.
Sadiq shrugged. “You can keep on being stupid or you can go and do something about your woman.”
Put like that, there was really no choice.
He stalked into the house, past a smirking Enoch and a smiling Khalil, and up the stairs. It was easy to find Karina’s room. All he had to do was follow her sweet scent. Determined, he knocked.
Several seconds passed, and he wondered if she’d even answer. Should he barge in, or would that be a mistake?
Before he had to decide, the door opened.
Chapter Twenty-One
Karina swiped at the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. It seemed all she’d done these past two weeks was work, sleep, cry, and think about Jericho. Now he was here, but she wasn’t sure why. It was obvious he was mired in guilt over believing she’d betrayed him. She didn’t blame him. Not one bit. Given their histories, it made perfect sense.
Still, it hurt. She was only human, after all. It pained her that the man she’d come to love had doubted her.
Perched on the edge of the bed, she dragged her wayward emotions into submission. Closing her eyes, she pictured his face. He looked tired. According to the updates Enoch had been giving her daily, Jericho had driven his motorcycle across the country. What must that be like? To have no responsibilities, to roam free. She had no idea.
For a brief moment in time, she’d felt loved and cared for. It had to be enough. She understood all about guilt. Lived and breathed it every second of every day. Her new mission in life was to bring the Knights of the Dragon to their knees, to destroy them utterly and completely.
Maybe then she could sleep at night.
When a knock came on the door, she knew it was him. Her heart skipped a beat before it began to race. It was smart not to read anything into this. For all she knew, he was stopping by to tell her he was leaving again. Fighting the urge to run, she took her time, making sure she was composed before she pulled open the door.
“Yes.” He might look tired, but he was still sexy as hell. What was it about a man in jeans that was so appealing? And he certainly filled out a pair to perfection.
She’d always been drawn to strong men, but they’d always been sophisticated, wore tailored suits, and controlled vast financial empires. Then Jericho had literally rammed into her life, knocking her world off its axis.
Eyes darker than night were backlit with flickers of drakon fire. Full lips were pursed in a thin line of irritation. Long black hair fell around his shoulders, looking slightly disheveled, as though he’d dragged his fingers through it many times.
He didn’t ask to come in, simply stepped forward. She could either move out of the way or be trampled. She moved.
No matter how calm she wanted to appear, her heart leaped, and she knew he could hear it. There was no hiding anything from him. He could most likely scent the first stirrings of arousal as well. Not fair, but life rarely was.
“How have you been?” he asked. He wandered around the room, paused by the dresser and picked up he
r brush and comb, examining both before putting them back. They looked so fragile in his large hands. It was all too easy to imagine those same fingers stroking the more intimate areas of her body.
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. It was a defensive gesture, but she couldn’t stop herself. Having him here, invading her private domain, made her feel vulnerable.
The room was plush and well-appointed with a large bed, soft linens, and antique furniture. It screamed class and money.
He dominated it without effort.
His next stop was the window, where he peered out before turning back to her. “You’re sleeping okay?”
Frustrated by his mundane questions, she held her hands out by her sides. “What does it matter? Look at me. I’m perfectly fine on my own.”
Not that she was really on her own, not with his friends protecting her. She’d actually come to like all of them, even the staid and suspicious Sadiq.
He flinched slightly but nodded, his expression growing even grimmer. “How are plans coming?”
This she could talk about with authority. “Enoch and I have been setting up investment companies and quietly buying up stock in every business owned by members of the Knights. It’s reaching a critical point where we’ll have to make an all-out strike. We were waiting.” It went unsaid that what they were waiting for was Jericho.
“Everything is in place, then?”
Karina wanted to scream, to throw something at him. Standing in the shadows where the light from the bedside lamp didn’t quite penetrate, he seemed reserved and untouchable.
“It won’t be easy. We’re spread thin trying to do it all ourselves. It’s doable, though.”
“I may be able to get the help we need.” He stirred and reached out, running his fingertips down the side of her face. “I missed you.”
She swallowed the hard knot in her throat. “You didn’t call.” Her words were a whispered accusation. He’s spoken to his friends but not her. It had broken her heart.
“I’m sorry.” Two small words, but they meant so much coming from him. “I’m so damn sorry. I was afraid.”
Shocked to her core, she caught his hand in hers. “Why?” It was unfathomable that this muscular and stoic man, this immortal drakon, would be afraid of anything.
“I feared you wouldn’t want to speak with me. Not after the way I’d left things.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. “I don’t deserve you.” When she started to speak, he pressed his fingers against her lips to silence her. “It’s true. You can be logical if you want, but you almost died because of my mistrust.”
When he stepped away from her, she felt the loss of his touch keenly.
“But I can’t live without you, either.”
Her heart stuttered at his confession. “What do you mean?”
“If you’re willing to give me another chance, I promise to make things up to you.” He appeared sincere, emotionally broken open. His shoulders hunched and his hands fisted at his sides, as if he were braced for her rejection.
It was at that moment she truly understood the power she had over him. The realization helped to settle her. She’d been off kilter since he’d crashed into her world.
She loved him. Maybe it wasn’t smart or logical, but her heart knew what it wanted. Jericho was hers and always would be. If she had power over him, he had as much or more over her. And wasn’t that the way things should be? An equal partnership.
“There’s nothing to make up for,” she began and was surprised when he nodded and took another step away.
“I understand.” He lowered his gaze and edged toward the door.
“No, I don’t think you do.” She grabbed his hand and stopped him in his tracks. He could easily push her aside, but he remained still, as if tethered in place. Then she did the one thing she’d never willing done before—given her fate over to another.
“I love you. I know it doesn’t make sense, and maybe you can’t trust it. That’s okay. We have time. But I love you.”
She’d never loved anyone before. Not really. As a child she’s loved her sister, but this was totally different. It was scary and exhilarating.
But most of all, it was real.
…
Jericho feared he’d left things too long, had taken too much time coming to terms with everything that had happened. When she’d needed him most, he’d been off by himself licking his wounds. Not his finest moment. In fact, he hadn’t been at his best at all since she’d come into his life.
She was intelligent and self-contained and didn’t need anyone. But, oh, how he wanted her to need him.
When she took his hand, she’d chained him by her side easily and more completely than if magically enhanced titanium links wrapped around him instead of flesh and blood. He was so entranced by the heat from her fingers, the softness of her skin, that he almost missed her words.
Almost.
Heart pounding in his chest, his breathing getting faster, all he could do was stare down at her, dumbfounded. “You love me?” It was everything he’d always wanted.
“Yes. You don’t look particularly thrilled about that.” She started to pull her hand from his, but he wouldn’t let her.
“You love me.” He said the words again, playing them over in his mind. “You love me.” This time he repeated them stronger, allowing himself to believe.
Grabbing her in his arms, he lifted her right off her feet. When she gasped, he took advantage and kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth. She tasted like heaven, like home. Here was what he’d been missing, what he’d needed.
He took them down onto the bed, grateful when it didn’t collapse beneath them. Best of all, she kissed him back. He couldn’t get enough of her, was desperate to touch every inch of her. Roaming his hands over her, he memorized the shape and feel of her, even as he kissed her again and again, stealing the air from her lungs until she was breathless.
God, he’d missed her so damn much. He’d been alive but not really living since he’d parted with her.
There were too many clothes between them. He needed her naked. And he needed it now.
Her top ripped when he dragged it over her head. Before he could tackle her bra, she was tugging on his shirt. He practically tore it from his body.
“Need you. Need you,” he chanted while divesting her of her bra. “Mine,” he told her, grateful when she didn’t object. Not only did she not blast him for being possessive, there was a gleam in her eyes that told him she liked it.
“You’re mine,” she tossed back. Her nimble fingers opened the front of his jeans and then wrapped around his cock. Her touch seared him, branded him. The sensation was exquisite, pleasure and pain at the same time.
This was what he needed, this connection, this primal sexual bond that was so much more than physical.
He managed to get her jeans and underwear shoved down her legs but swore when they caught on her boots. It was taking too damn long. He pulled away long enough to finish stripping her naked. Then he was back on top of her.
There was no time for finesse. He worried he was rushing her, but the sweet scent of her arousal gave him all the reassurance he needed. “Say it again,” he demanded.
“I love you.” Her green eyes gleamed in the dim light. She was soft and welcoming, much more than he deserved, but he was damn well keeping her. He’d tried letting her go, but it had been the worst two weeks of his entire existence. Knowing his woman was out there without him had almost driven him mad.
She’d said she loved him. Now she was stuck with him. They’d work out whatever problems came their way. “I’m an idiot,” he mumbled under his breath as he stroked his hands over her supple body.
Karina gasped and arched into his touch. “Finally, something we can agree on.”
He laughed. Hornier than he’d ever been in his life, his cock ready to explode like a rocket, yet she’d made him laugh.
She was one of a kind.
“I can’t
wait.” He was still wearing his jeans and boots but there was no time to waste. She was wet and warm, her scent intoxicating. His cock throbbed, an ache that only she could assuage.
She parted her legs wider. “Do it now,” she ordered
This human woman was more than his match. He shoved his forearms under her legs, positioned the tip of his shaft at her opening, and drove home. Her inner muscles rippled around his hard shaft, but he kept going until she’d taken all of him.
Sweat beaded on his skin as his inner heat grew. “Karina.” She shuddered when he said her name, and squeezed his cock. Swearing under his breath, he began to move. He wanted to be gentle, to show her he could take his time, but it was impossible.
Every time he got her in his arms, he lost it. The primal need to claim, to possess, to pleasure, overwhelmed all others.
Maybe after they’d been together a hundred years, he’d be able to slow things down. He wanted to spend hours stroking her skin, tasting her. But for now, it was fast and furious. Over and over, he slammed into her, loving every sharp gasp, every sexy moan.
The bed frame beat against the wall in a steady rhythm.
Sharp nails bit into his biceps as she chanted his name. He gritted his teeth to keep from coming before she did, but knew he was fighting a losing battle. Swiveling his hips, he put pressure on her clit. “Come for me.” Her inner muscles squeezed his dick so hard he saw stars as she orgasmed.
He let go and let his own release overtake him. The rush of pleasure was almost too much to bear. It seemed endless, his body trembling beneath the onslaught of emotion.
He managed not to collapse on top of her but rolled to the side, taking her with him. Curling around her, he simply held her, more content than he’d ever been.
…
What had just happened? Karina was shaken, both emotionally and physically. Sex with Jericho had already been off the charts, but this took it to a whole other level. Now that she’d admitted she loved him, it left her totally defenseless.
She ignored the little nagging voice in the back of her head reminding her that he hadn’t returned the sentiment. Some women might think she’d taken him back too easily, but no one knew better than she that life was short. She had no intention of wasting a single moment.
Drakon's Knight (Blood of the Drakon) Page 23
