by Nina Croft
His hands held her still as he lowered his head. She made no move to evade him, her whole body rigid with expectation.
Their lips met.
She’d forgotten what it was like, one more of those things she had buried deep in her subconscious as too painful to remember. His lips were soft. His tongue licked at her lower lip, then his teeth nipped until her mouth opened beneath his, and his tongue filled her, slick, wet, velvet. The taste of him flooded her, pushing everything else from her brain as his mouth hardened against hers.
***
She was so incredibly soft, and the taste of her was driving Darius wild. His fangs throbbed with the urge to feed, and the hunger rose in his belly. His cock was already rock hard, and his balls ached viciously. He shifted, trying to ease the pain, but he knew there was only one thing that would do that. He needed to be inside her, deep inside her. He slid his hands down her back, cupped the globes of her backside and pulled her against him, pressed her softness against the hardness of his shaft, and she groaned into his mouth. He drank the sound down.
He picked her up without breaking the kiss, strode across the room with her in his arms, and lowered her to the sofa. She was so beautiful. His gaze ran over her body, over her nipples pressed against the soft material of her T-shirt.
“Take off your top.” His voice sounded hoarse in his own ears.
She peered up at him, her eyes glowing silver. Holding his gaze, her hands clasped the hem of her T-shirt and she wriggled out of it, tossed it to the floor. She was naked underneath, and he feasted on the sight of her.
Her breasts were small, with dark red nipples already swollen with need. He trailed his fingers over the engorged peaks, watched them pucker and tighten. He pinched one between his finger and thumb, and her hips rose from the cushions.
He came down beside her then, needing to feel her against the length of him. He shifted lower down her body, and his face nuzzled her tender breasts, his tongue flicking over one tight nipple until it glistened with moisture. He drew it into his mouth and suckled, careful that his fangs didn’t cut into her flesh, but desperate for the taste of her blood.
***
Gina was boneless, a mass of sensitized nerve endings. His mouth tugged at her nipple, slowly melting her insides. She could feel him hard against her, and her sex was hot and swollen with need. Her hands slid under the worn material of his T-shirt to the satin skin beneath, her nails raking his back. She lifted her hips, rubbing herself against him, and he went still above her.
He released her breast and raised himself so she could look up into his eyes, so dark now they were almost black, glittering, burning with a hunger she knew matched her own and beyond. His gaze shifted to her throat, and he reared up above her. His lips drew back, his fangs gleaming white against the darkness of his skin. She realized what he meant to do, knew she had to stop him, and the need broke through the fog of desire holding her captive. If he fed, the bond between them would be renewed. He would feel her thoughts, know the truth, and would never let her go. Not without a fight. A fight she could not let him win.
“No!”
For a moment, she was sure she’d left it too late, that he was beyond control. She could see the force of his will, his powerful shoulders rigid with tension as he held himself poised above her. He looked savage and wild, his lips drawn back in a snarl.
His fangs retracted, and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were back to normal, though tension throbbed in the air. He moved slowly, first onto his knees, then rising to his feet to stand beside the sofa, staring down at her. He raked a hand through his long hair, and finally, the tension drained from him. “Why?” he asked.
She pulled herself up and hugged her knees to her chest, hiding her naked breasts. “You feed, and the bond between us will strengthen.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“When we part I can’t…” She paused, gathering her thoughts, careful of what she revealed to him. “When we part, I can’t exist if I feel you all the time.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “When we part?”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“Regan is coming for me.”
Gina didn’t mention the hellhounds, though she wasn’t sure why; maybe she didn’t want to scare him off completely.
“When will she be here?”
Gina shrugged. “Tomorrow, maybe tonight, I don’t know, but she’s searching for me, and she will find me. Besides, I was always going back. I just wanted to see something of life before—” She broke off and swallowed. “I have to go back. This was only ever a break from reality for me.”
“Reality? Well, change reality. You don’t have to go back. I can keep you safe from your sister. She can manage without you.”
Her anger rose then. “You understand nothing of what we do. Do you think we were brought into existence merely to perform party tricks at your command, to give you pretty visions of the future? That is nothing. We have duties to perform, without which the world would descend into chaos.”
“What duties?”
“We lead the souls of the dead away from the land of the living. Without us the world would sink under their weight. Besides…”
“Besides?”
She got to her feet, crossed the floor, and drew back the curtain. The room was instantly lit with the crimson flashes. “This is because of me.”
“I don’t understand.”
How could he? “Magic has to be paid for,” she said. “Oh, not the glamours and tricks…” She gestured to her long hair, and it vanished. “They cost nothing. But proper earth magic has a price. I had to use it to black out the sun—that was the only way I could save Raven. But now the world is out of balance. This”—she gestured at the night sky—“will get worse until I have paid.”
“Paid how?”
“I don’t know the details,” she lied. “Perhaps I will have to return to the Shadowlands.” Well, at least that was the truth; she had no doubts she would be visiting the Shadowlands very soon.
“Do you want some company?”
Panic flared inside her. “You cannot follow. It is forbidden.”
His eyes narrowed. “One day you will come back?”
“Perhaps.” She forced a smile.
He was regarding her curiously. “Have you seen our future?”
Gina frowned at the question, then shook her head. “No, I haven’t had a vision of the future since before Raven was born. I think my gift may have passed to her.”
“Yes, Kael mentioned she has the sight.”
“Then I pity her.”
“There’s no need. She’s happy now with Kael, and besides, she’s strong.”
“I hope so. She’ll have to be.”
“So,” Darius said. “Where does this leave us?”
She turned away from him, schooled her expression to grimness. He needed to understand this. “There is no us,” she said, turning back. “There can never be an us. Tonight is all we have.”
He stared at her for a minute longer, his expression blank. “Then I think I’ll forgo the evening’s entertainment. If I just wanted sex, there are plenty of willing partners without the problems. Maybe they’re still up next door.”
He turned from her and walked out. The door slammed shut behind him. Gina stared at it without seeing, a desperate urge to call him back rising within her. She bit her lip to stop the words from tumbling out.
Running to the door, she opened it and caught sight of his figure disappearing down the stairs. Something relaxed inside her. She didn’t know what she would have done if he’d gone next door.
She started shaking then. Sinking to the floor, she curled into a ball and wept.
Chapter Five
It took Darius all of about one second to realize he’d behaved like a complete shit.
He hadn’t meant it. He could no more go to another’s bed than he could physically hurt Gina. No, he’d said it to cau
se her pain, and he’d succeeded. The shock had been clear in her face, and he’d wished immediately that he could take back his words. Instead, he’d walked away.
If he’d believed causing her pain would lessen the anguish that ripped through him, he’d been way off course.
The truth was, he’d seen the love in her face, knew she wanted him, and he could still feel her, soft and willing beneath him. For a brief moment, he’d allowed himself to believe there could be a happy ending, and because of that, her rejection had been the bitterest of blows.
Still, the knowledge that she hadn’t betrayed him, hadn’t betrayed their daughter, was like a huge pressure lifting from his mind. He realized the Darkness had retreated; he no longer felt as though he was balancing on the edge of a precipice. The hatred had drained from him, leaving him empty.
He wanted to go back, say he was sorry for hurting her, but the hunger still gnawed at his stomach. He couldn’t confront her again until he had himself under control, but time was running out. How much did she have? She’d told him not long. A day? A few hours?
He walked through the city streets, the crimson lightning flashing overhead, mocking him, reminding him at every step of all he had lost.
Finally, he entered an all-night bar and sat down, oblivious to the stares of the humans. The bartender placed a whiskey in front of him and Darius sipped the drink, wondering where to go next. What to do.
Above the bar, a TV flickered to life, showing a news report and a picture of the night sky, rent by flashes of deep red lightning.
“Scientists have been unable to determine the origin of the current weather phenomena.”
Darius could have told them.
He wanted Gina with every part of him, and he knew she wanted him. But if she could be strong enough to do her duty, then perhaps he should learn from her.
For a long time he sat drinking, staring into space, working out how to pick up the pieces of his life and move on.
Maybe it was time to stop wallowing in self-pity, as Kael had told him, and get back to work. There were always fire-demons to kill, if the Council would take him back. Darius would fill his time waiting for her return.
First, he had to see her one more time.
***
When the knock came, Gina almost didn’t open the door. She didn’t believe for one minute that Darius would be back. He’d made his feelings clear. Only after the third round of knocking, when it turned into hammering, did she rise to her feet.
She opened the door slowly, her eyes widening as she took in the tall figure on the other side. He’d changed his clothes, and her eyes widened further at the sight of him. She’d never seen him in anything other than casual dress. Now he was wearing a dark gray suit that fit his tall frame to perfection, and a white silk shirt open at the neck, contrasting with his golden skin. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, emphasizing the high cheekbones. His sensual lips curled into a slight smile.
He looked alert and shifty, as though he was hiding something, and he kept his hands behind his back. As she stared at him, openmouthed, he brought them forward and offered her a single red rose.
She blinked in bewilderment, then shifted her gaze from the flower to the man holding it, unable to look away.
“May I come in?” he asked when she continued to stare.
“Can I stop you?”
“All you have to do is say no.”
She considered it for a millisecond. She glanced again at the flower. No one had ever brought her flowers before. She opened her mouth again, but couldn’t think of a thing to say, so moved to the side and gestured for him to enter.
He nodded once, then stepped past her. She shut the door behind them and turned to face him. He held out the rose. “This is to say I’m sorry.”
“You are?” She blinked again, in confusion. “For what?”
He shrugged. “Take your pick, but mostly for the way I left earlier. I was…” he paused as if searching for the right word “…disappointed. You can blame my oafish behavior on that.”
She looked at him suspiciously. “I won’t change my mind.”
“I don’t expect you to. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give, for however long you’re willing to give it.”
A thrill of excitement ran through her at his words. She’d believed it was over. That she would never see him again, and the thought had very nearly torn her apart. Now she had a chance to be with him one last time.
She reached out and took the rose, raised it and breathed in the rich perfume. When she looked back up, Darius was watching her.
“I want to make love to you,” he said. “You know that?”
She nodded.
“Good. Now put the flower down. I need to hold you. Then I’ll take you out, wherever you want to go. We never did get to go on a date.”
She laid it on the coffee table and moved into his arms. Burying her head in his chest, she pressed her face against the silk of his shirt, wrapping her arms around his waist as though she would hold him forever and never let him go. His arms went around her, pulled her closer, and for long minutes they stood entwined. After nowhere near long enough, he sighed, then kissed the top of her head, and she released him and stepped back.
She glanced down at her jeans and T-shirt; they didn’t seem right when he looked so stunning and sophisticated. But she was a witch, wasn’t she? She whispered a spell and a moment later stood before him in a slinky crimson dress the color of fresh blood. It skimmed her slender body, clinging to her small breasts and reaching midway down her thighs. Her feet were in crimson stilettos with straps that wrapped around her ankles. She imagined her hair down to her waist, and instantly the heavy weight tipped her head back. Darius was staring at her, hunger burning in his eyes. Her own hunger rose in response, tightening the muscles in her abdomen, turning her nipples to hard little peaks pressing against the thin silk of her dress.
She looked up to find him gazing at her breasts. He cleared his throat. “Do you have anything on under that?” he asked, his voice hoarse.
“Wait and see,” she teased.
His eyes glittered, dark and hot, and his hands clenched at his sides. “I’ll wait, little witch, but not for long.”
He stretched out a hand for her then, but she skipped out of his reach. “I thought you were taking me out?”
As she watched, he fought for control, gained it with difficulty. He held out a hand to her. “Then let’s go.”
She curled her fingers into his palm. “Where are you taking me?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Show me the city. Show me how people live.”
Thirty minutes later, they were riding on the London Eye, a huge wheel that took them high over the city. Suspended in a glass capsule, the two of them alone, Gina sipped from a glass of champagne and gazed out across the night. For long moments she stared, taking in the vastness, so many people all pressed in together.
“So there it is,” he murmured. “The city of London. For one night it’s yours.”
“It’s beautiful.” Turning to him, she found him not looking at the view but at her. She trembled under the heat of his stare and stood motionless while he took the glass from her hand and placed it on the nearby table. Then he took her in his arms. He leaned over her, burrowing his face in the soft spot where her shoulder met her neck.
For a moment she tensed, but he merely grazed her neck with his lips then trailed kisses up her throat to her mouth. He placed more butterfly kisses across her lips. They tingled, darts of pleasure shooting through her. He was teasing her and she needed more. She dug her fingers into the hard muscles of his upper arms, pulled him closer, and he kissed her as they hovered high above the earth.
“So,” he said, dragging his lips from hers, “What do you want to do next, shopping, food…” he punctuated each question with tiny nibbling bites of her lower lip. She could feel his kisses at her breasts, between her thighs and she pressed her body against his. “�
��dancing.”
He had shown her the city and it had been wonderful. But she had seen enough. If she had only one night, she didn’t want to waste it. She was suddenly conscious of time running out; dawn was too short a time away, and all she wanted was to be alone with him. She dropped her arms from his shoulders and stepped away.
“Darius,” she said, “where do you stay?”
He caught her gaze, and something passed between them. Taking her hand, he led her to the edge of the capsule, then pointed down into the jumbled mass of buildings.
“Just about there,” he murmured.
“Will you show me?”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded.
It was another fifteen minutes before they returned to the ground. Darius didn’t kiss her again, but he held her close, with her back against the length of his body, and pointed out the things they could see. She could feel the tension in his body, the hard line of his erection pressed against the softness of her bottom.
They walked without speaking. The streets were quiet now, and it didn’t take them long to reach the building. The office block was in darkness. Darius let them in through a side door, and they took the elevator down into the basement. A steel door closed behind them.
Gina peered around her with interest. Looking at this place, she could see why he wasn’t impressed with her room. This was huge, the décor very modern with clean lines and lots of pale wood. The floors were wood scattered with colored rugs, and she slipped off her sandals and dug her toes into the softness of the wool.
“Is this where you live?” she asked.
“Not for a long time. I stayed here with Raven before she was taken by the fire-demons. After that I lost my taste for the city, and besides, most of my time was spent out hunting for her. I couldn’t face this place; it had too many memories.”
He took off his jacket and laid it on the back of the black leather sofa, then released the band that held his hair. He ran his hands through it so it fell to his shoulders, dark as night. She watched the play of muscles under the thin white shirt, her fingers itching to stroke the dark body hair shadowing his chest.
