Eyes in the Darkness (The Coveted)

by Ripley Proserpina

  We pulled up to an unfamiliar apartment building. Aaron sat forward just a bit. “Thorn, give me your car keys. I’m going to go buy her dinner.”

  Without argument, Thorn passed him his keys. “Lacey, you okay to walk?”

  Was I? “I guess the only way to find out is to try.”

  I managed to get out of the car, and although my legs were wobbly, I made my way to Thorn. He took my hand, looking over his shoulder at Aaron. “Thanks.”

  “Yep. It might take me a few minutes.” He shot Thorn a look I couldn’t understand. “See you later. I think you’ll be safe here. It’s going to take him a while to regroup. My father is going to freak out that there was a group of demons out at midday for Lacey. Italian okay?”

  He’d just said so many things, and I could hardly follow any of it. “Yes. That’s fine.”

  I wasn’t hungry. I doubted I’d eat any of it, but I should probably try. Aaron nodded, getting in the front seat, and drove away within a matter of seconds.

  Thorn turned to me. “I never asked him if he had a license.”

  That was true. I laughed. It was ridiculous and not funny, but I couldn’t help it. I laughed until I cried, big gasping sobs I couldn’t control. Thorn pulled me against him, and I soaked his shirt.

  “He was in my mind,” I managed to say somehow.

  He kissed the top of my head. “I know. It’s a terrible feeling. I’ve had him in mine. Come inside. Let’s try to relax.”

  I wasn’t sure I ever would again, but I let him lead me up two flights of stairs to his apartment. “I can’t believe you rented this place.”

  He turned to look at me. “We can thank my good old great-uncle’s trust fund for this.”

  Thorn had never met the man, but he’d lived his life knowing the money would come to him. I couldn’t imagine ever having enough of anything to leave to anyone, let alone a nephew I’d never seen born.

  Thorn entered, flipping on the lights. “I rented it furnished.”

  That was clear right away. I couldn’t see Thorn ever having any of this stuff. A plaid couch, a coffee table with a book about bananas on it. Pictures on the wall that might or might not be modern art. I wasn’t sure, because it could have just been someone scribbling on some canvas.

  The sight of the so-not-Thorn decor didn’t make what happened go away, but it did distract me for half a second. Thorn walked into the room ahead of me. “There are three bedrooms. One for me, one for Colton, one for—maybe—you. Two bathrooms. You can share with me. I’m cleaner than Colton is. Trust me on that.”

  Thorn had always been a bit OCD about cleaning up after himself. “Thanks for saving me out there. I’d be dead without you guys. Or worse. Breeding for a demon. And those other guys, the other demons, they wanted to share me. I don’t know how to process this. Not even a little bit.”

  He walked up to me until we were toe-to-toe. “You’ve never seen yourself the way you truly are. If supernatural creatures were going to desire any human, it was always going to be you. I can’t look away from you.” His cheeks flushed. “Wrong time for declarations, I know.”

  It wasn’t, actually. Thorn’s words went right into me, calming my racing mind. “No.” His gaze was focused on the ground, so I touched his face, drawing his attention to me. “No. It was perfect.”

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. His face was scratchy, probably because he hadn’t been able to shave at the Chee’s house. It burned my chin, but I didn’t care. I angled my head and kissed him deeper.

  Thorn groaned and pulled away. “You were just attacked.”

  “When you touch me, I forget that.”

  He sighed, shutting his eyes tight. “I don’t want you to do this because you need to forget.” When his eyes opened, they were a bright blazing green. They were hypnotizing.

  “I want to kiss you, because you see something in me that I don’t,” I said. “When I kiss you, all I can think of is you. My best friend. The guy who fought off a demon for me.”

  I barely got the words out before his lips were back on mine. Thorn’s arms went around my waist, lifting me up. We were moving, but I didn’t see where. All I cared about was kissing him, his scent in my nose, the way his tongue dragged over mine. Nothing else mattered.

  He let me down slowly until I was resting on his mattress. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me. His eyes were bright, and his cheeks red. His shoulders heaved with breath, and I had a moment of embarrassment where I was afraid I’d been too heavy for him.

  But like he could read my mind, he answered my question. “I can’t breathe from wanting you.” He came over me slowly, propping himself on one arm so he could push my hair out of my face. “Can I touch you, Lace?”

  I was dying for that.

  Nodding, I reached for him, threading my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck and pulling him down to me. Our kiss this time was gentler, more an exploration than an explosion. He nipped my lips and kissed his way from my mouth to my hairline. I let out a breath, moving my hands over his shoulders, down his arms, and around his hips. Thorn moved over me, and I found myself arching into him, searching for something.

  I wanted his body on mine more fully. Spreading my legs to either side of him, I tugged him onto me, but he locked his arms and pulled away. “Lacey.” He studied my face, starting at my forehead and traveling all the way to my lips. I could almost feel the trail his eyes made. “We don’t have to do anything.”

  But I wanted to. I wanted to touch his skin and for him to touch mine. I didn’t know what would happen after that, but I needed it.

  “Please, Thorn.” My body undulated beneath his, and he shut his eyes.

  “You’re making it really hard to do the right thing.”

  The right thing? Whatever we wanted to do was the right thing. “It’s just us,” I whispered. He opened his eyes. “It’s what we want. There’s no right or wrong, there’s only us.”

  He searched my face for something. I didn’t know what he looked for, but he must have found it because he kissed me, right on my lips. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. My breasts ached. I wanted his hands on me, anything to be closer to him.

  Thorn palmed my nipples and sucked in his breath. “You make it so hard for me to stay calm.” His smile was self-deprecating. “I’ve never had sex, Lacey. I think this is going to sound stupid, considering how things went, but I think I was waiting for you.”

  I stroked the side of his face. “What about all those girls? I mean, I saw you with them.”

  He blinked. “It never went anywhere. I never let it. I think I knew that when it came down to it, there was no one for me but you. I waited. And I don’t… I don’t really know exactly what I’m doing. I’ve already embarrassed myself once. I don’t want to do it again.”

  “I don’t want people to think I’m a slut. I don’t want you to think that. I don’t want anyone to. The only bad feelings I’ve had about what happened between us was worrying about that. Not about what happened with you.” My cheeks heated up. “I kind of liked that I had that effect on you. Maybe… maybe we can figure it out together.”

  He furrowed his brow. “I would never think that about you. Ever.”

  I kissed his chin, then his cheek, his mouth. “Millions of people do this every day. Surely we can figure it out.”

  He smiled down at me. “Well, maybe we can figure out how to start. And get there when it’s right for us. If that’s tonight, fine. If that’s another night, I’m good with that, too. You’re it for me, Lacey.”

  Thorn kissed me with a ferocity I couldn’t have imagined from him. My body came alive. He’d waited for me? Did I dare tell him my dirty little secret? “I’ve always imagined sex with you. When I think about it at all. Always you. This feels like a fantasy for me.”

  He pressed his hips into me, grinding against me. That must have made him excited. His mouth was close to my ear when he spoke again, nearly a whisper. “Did you touch yourself?”

&nb
sp; I stared up at him. “Sometimes. Quietly. I… I don’t get there easily. I could never do it myself, but yes, I did.” I couldn’t believe I told him that. “Did you? Did you ever think about me that way and touch yourself?”

  Thorn shook above me, keeping his body off mine, but I could feel the vibrations. “Fuck. Yes, I did. A lot.” His smile was small. “This is so much better. Just being this close.”

  I ran my hand down to fit it underneath where his shirt had untucked from his pants, exposing his lower abs. He jumped under my touch. We stared at each other for long moments. “Can I take your shirt off?”

  He didn’t bother to answer. Leaning back on his heels, he ripped his shirt over his head and unbuckled his belt and button on his jeans. I laughed. I loved his excitement, the way his eyes glittered, and how one side of his mouth tipped up in a smile.

  Slowly, he crawled back over me. I let my hands rest on his stomach, and he sucked in a breath. Afraid I’d tickled him, or my hands were cold, I started to pull them back. He stopped me with one hand, holding me in place. “I love that.”

  Okay then. I turned my hand as I leaned up to kiss him, trailing my fingers lower to the elastic band of his underwear.

  He stopped me. “Think you could let me run the show for a minute?”

  All of this push-pull was killing me. But in the best possible way. This was Thorn! Thorn! The guy whose name I’d doodled in my diary. Lacey Evans. Mr. Thorn Madison. Mrs. Lacey Evans. Mr. and Mrs. Lacey and Thorn Madison-Evans. And now here we were. He’d waited for me.

  I’d waited for him.

  Thorn came over me, hands braced on either side of my head as he leaned down to kiss me. His tongue glided over the seam of my mouth, and I opened for him, sipping at his lips. Thorn lowered himself on top of me, not balking this time when I wrapped my legs around him.

  He shifted, body rubbing against mine deliciously. I sucked in a breath at the contact. It was exactly what I needed, but wasn’t enough. Between my legs throbbed, my heart pounded, and I could feel myself getting slick.

  Thorn’s hand snaked up my shirt, pushing it past my ribs and right over my bra. Tweaking and rolling my nipple between his thumb and finger, he suddenly pulled away. “I want to see you.”

  I’d had my eyes closed, but now I opened them. He stared at my body like he was memorizing it. His hand smoothed over my skin, pushing my shirt up more, then coming back time and again to the breast he freed from my bra. Beneath him, I pushed my hips against him, arching my back, trying to find that friction I needed.

  Thorn lowered his head, lips skimming between my breasts before he took my nipple in his mouth. Holy crap! I might have cried out, I wasn’t sure, because the next thing I knew, his fingers were between my legs, trailing along my folds to pause at my clit.

  For a moment, he just stayed there, palm on my mound, fingers gently pressing against that bundle of nerves. The anticipation was wonderful, but if he didn’t do something soon, I was going to go up in flames.

  Lightly, so I just barely felt the edge of his teeth, Thorn bit down on my nipple. I loved it. I wouldn’t have thought I would, but he eased the tiny pinch with a gentle suck.

  My hands were everywhere on him. I tried to stroke every inch of him, but he kept distracting me with his mouth.

  And then he moved his hand.

  This time I did cry out. His breathing picked up, and he jerked against me as he did it. He moved his fingers, finding a circular motion that I liked. Soon, I writhed against him. I was close. So close, but it was hard. Like I had to reach for it. I squirmed, maybe I begged him not to stop even though it was taking a long time.

  “Never would. I want to touch you forever—forever—Lacey.” He whispered in my ear, his voice a tone I’d never heard before. I exploded. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, didn’t want to. My heart pounded in my ears.

  Thorn kissed me and kissed me. “Lacey, that was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You are… you are…” I stared up at him. He looked elated, his eyes were huge, his breathing fast.

  I reached between us. “We’re not done.”

  I pulled down his briefs and took him in my hand. He jolted and visibly swallowed. “Lacey, I…”

  “Shh.” I kissed his neck. “I want to do for you what you just did for me.” I’d never done this before. “You tell me if you like it, how you like it. This is a first for me.”

  He closed his eyes. I stroked him, from his tip down his shaft toward his balls. I let myself experience this sensation, how thick he was, the way his head felt when I ran my hand over it. The sounds he made when I did certain things. I sped up. He moaned louder, clearly liking that. I didn’t want to hurt him. Was there such a thing as too much pressure?

  I almost asked him and changed my mind. He was lost to this. I hadn’t needed to give him directions. I would feel my way through this, too. I loved the sounds he made; I loved how his facial expressions changed.

  He opened his eyes, heat in his gaze. I didn’t stop, holding him tighter as I stroked. He nodded, his neck straining.

  He grew even larger in my hand, throbbing as I held him and stroked. His noises changed. He seemed almost desperate for it, and I knew the feeling. I’d just been through it. Being so close. I squeezed him harder.

  Thorn came on a sigh, coating my hand. I held him while he came, loving every second. We’d just done this. Thorn and me. Like something out of a dream. An old dream.

  He leaned down, pressing his forehead against me while he shook.

  I couldn’t remember ever being happier.

  We lay on the couch. After briefly cleaning up, we’d snuggled back down to wait for Aaron to return with Kelly and dinner.

  Thorn rambled. “And I think I found a way to stop him. I found it. We had to go back further in time. I’m talking ancient rituals. Ray went to get some stuff. I’m going to save you, Lacey.”

  I squeezed his arm. “You’re about to fall asleep because you stayed up really late researching. You slept with your laptop on you.”

  He nuzzled the back of my neck. “I don’t want to fall asleep right now. I have you in my arms. And I snore. You won’t like it right in your ear.”

  I shook my head. “You know that’s never bothered me. Besides, I’m not tired. I’m just going to lie here and wait for Aaron.” They’d probably be here any minute, and Thorn would have to get up to eat.

  I didn’t want to tell him the truth. That in the time we’d taken to cool down, to snuggle here, I’d thought of the demons again. They’d found their way into my happy haze. He was still high from it, and I loved that, but I’d never be able to really relax until it was over.

  Not to mention, Thorn was going to tell everyone what a slut I was. As soon as he got over this ridiculous notion that he wanted me, he’d tell everyone.

  I blinked. Where had those thoughts come from?

  Twenty-One

  Slut.

  The word came again, so loud in my head that I winced. The tone was tinged with anger, and though it seemed like just a passing thought, something was off. It was my voice, but different.

  No one will want you. You’re everything they say you are.

  “Thorn.”

  His response was a sleepy, “Mmm?”

  He’ll lie to you. Leave you. Leave him before he leaves you. My pulse throbbed behind my eyes, and I had to shut them.

  “My head hurts.”

  Thorn shifted next to me. His palm was warm and dry when he laid it across my forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

  He only wants one thing from you.

  I pressed the heels of my hands against my eyes, trying to alleviate some of the pressure.

  “What does it feel like?” Thorn’s voice sounded like it was in a tunnel. The same thoughts kept racing around my head now. Only wants one thing. Slut. No one will want you. It was hard for me to answer, this voice was so loud.

  It hit me like lightning. This voice. It wasn’t mine. Like my inability to go as far north
as I wanted. “He’s in my head.”

  “What the fuck good is this thing if it’s not protecting you?” Thorn asked. His fingers slipped around my neck, lifting the necklace off my skin. As he did, voices rushed into my head. Louder. Raging. I slapped my hands over my ears as the pressure built and built, and then suddenly, they popped.

  The voices were gone along with the pain.

  I blinked and found Thorn, his hand on my chest, standing next to Aaron and Kelly. Kelly’s hand was on my shoulder, and Aaron knelt next to the couch, clutching my leg, his other hand gripping the leather cord around his neck. Glancing at Kelly, I found her doing the same thing.

  “He’s a pretty strong demon,” Kelly whispered. Her normally rosy brown skin was sallow. “I could feel him.”

  Aaron frowned, eyes sad as he studied his sister. There was something there in that glance, and I wondered what it was.

  “There’s power in numbers,” Aaron said. “Erdirg is too strong for the protection offered by that talisman, but not stronger than all of ours.”

  “So why don’t you give me three of these.” I tried to joke, but as I touched my pendant, I knew that wasn’t how it worked. Nothing was ever that easy. “What do these do?” I asked. “Exactly. Does it repel him? Block evil?”

  Thorn rested his arm over my shoulder, pulling me back against the couch. He kissed my temple, my cheek and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

  There was nothing to apologize for. We pissed Erdirg off. I had the sense that what I’d just experienced was a demon temper tantrum. But—it hadn’t been that bad. He hadn’t exploded the apartment or created a noxious cloud that enveloped us.

  Why was that? Was he weaker? Or had all those demons injured him?

  Aaron rose to his feet. “In nature, things really aren’t inherently bad or inherently good, they just are.” He visibly swallowed. “My parents or my brother would be so much better at explaining this than me.”

  “No.” Kelly tugged on his hand. “That’s not true. I love Mom and Dad, but they have their own ways and Oliver has his own. I think what she needs right now is you, Aaron. And all of the things you can do.”