Zacharel remained focused on her. You have only to say my name, female, and I will come for you. He vanished.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
PARIS LUNGED FOR ZACHAREL, encountered only air and let loose a dark stream of curses. The main one being, Stupid cock block. He turned back to Sienna with narrowed eyes. Say his name, and sign his death warrant. He didnt give her a chance to respondnot that she knew what to saybut returned to her side and swooped her into his arms. He started forward, his pace smooth, her weight seemingly insubstantial. Theres a cavern up ahead. Well get you patched up before heading for the exit.
How do you know theres a cavern? Shed lived here for months, far longer than Paris had, yet she hadnt known about any caverns.
I scouted out the area when I first arrived.
Such a warrior thing to do, and sexy as hell. She sighed and let her head drop onto his shoulder. The muscles bunched beneath her cheek. And now that they were heading toward the castle, the tug became less pronounced, allowing her to relax.
You know, she said, weve only been reunited a short time, but this is, like, the hundredth time youve had to carry me.
A snort. Your math might be a little off, baby. Besides, I like carrying you.
Baby. She loved when he called her by the endearment, loved the way his voice dipped so huskily. Her chest constricted, and her belly quivered. He was the first to ever speak to her in such a way and, unlike the time hed called her sweetheart so long ago, he clearly meant it to be something special just for her.
As she rubbed her cheek against him, his champagne-and-chocolate scent hit her, more intense than ever before, and derailed her thoughts. She pressed her nose against his hammering pulse, drinking in as much of the aroma as she could. Her nerve endings perked up, singing for his touch, his caress.
His gait slowed. A few steps later, he tripped.
Was he distracted by her, or injured? Concern overshadowed her arousal when she recalled the cuts on his arm. Are you okay?
Im fine, he replied gruffly. The reassurance was ruined a second later when he stumbled over a rock.
Definitely injured. Put me down. She struggled against his hold. I want to walk.
Be still, he hissed, as though in pain. Distract me. Tell me why you joined the Hunters. You told me before, that day I woke up in your cell, but some of the details are missing.
She struggled until the rest of her strength drained, and got nowhere. Even in a weakened state, he was stronger than she was.
Every new thing she learned about him made her want him more, and made him that much sexier.
Ultimately she relaxed back against him, conceding defeat only long enough to plan. Or not. Her thoughts derailed a second time as more and more of his scent permeated her skin. Desire for him began to overwhelm her.
Sienna.
His question. Right. And, okay, fine. If he wanted to carry her despite his weakness or whatever was wrong, she would let him carry her. Being close to him was a need. I bought into their ideology. I was convinced the world would become free of hurt, disease, badness and evil if only you and your friends were destroyed.
Killing us wont turn the world into a utopia. Humans make their own choices, bringing the bad and the evil on themselves. But lets say we do influence the world. Would that matter? People still have choices. They can resist, fight, and choose to act as they were meant.
I know that. She licked her lips and imagined licking her way to histhen lower. Now.
Do you really?
If I repeat my answer, will you finally believe me?
A moment passed in silence. A silence as thick and heavy as the air around them. Yes.
She blinked in surprise, momentarily distracted from the subject at hand. Why?
Because I want to believe you.
Not because he trusted her, she thought, and tried not to be disappointed. But then, asking for his trust would be like asking a human male to gift her with the moon and the stars. Impossible. And yet his faith, even given for that reason, was a promising start.
Then, yes, I truly believe killing you would serve no purpose.
The edge of his jaw appeared chiseled from stone as he nodded. Next question. Has Cronus ever told you why he enslaved you?
A dangerous topic, but she said, Yes.
He shifted his hand, his fingers brushing the underside of her breast. Just like that, the desire returned. Well. Tell me.
Trying to seduce the information out of her? No need. Shed lied to him once upon a time, and shed already decided never to lie to him again. Trust was a precious thing, and she wouldnt turn her back on his, no matter the trouble she courted. He wants me to return to the Hunters, watch their leader and steal his secrets.
Against her cheek, she felt his heart stop beating. Just stop. One second, two. Finally the organ kicked back into gear, but its strikes were too fast, too brutal.
Will you? he asked. Theyd reached the entrance of the cavern, which just happened to be the mouth of one of the giant skulls. Paris had to hunch his shoulders to get inside without scraping his head on the teeth.
Yes, she whispered, praying her inner torment over the fact remained hidden. I will.
For Cronus or for yourself?
Forall of us. For answers about my younger sister. Shes missing, has been for years. For vengeance. I hate the Hunters. Hate what they do. For you, she added silently. Though hopefully I wont have to do things Cronuss way. No reason to mention the mistress thing. Her plan to sneak in now, interrogate and kill could work.
Whether Paris believed her or not, he didnt say. He carted her to the center of the enclosure, where a natural spring rested, and set her on the ledge. He arranged her wings so that their tips wouldnt scrape the dirt floor.
A frigid breeze blasted through, filling up the entire space and making her shiver. Silent, Paris started a fire the old-fashioned way, sparking two rocks together and letting the flames catch on the twigs hed gathered. Golden flames illuminated his face, bathing his features in a heady mix of light and shadow.
He was always beautiful, but just then he was mouthwateringly exquisite. A mythical god of the heavens, no mere mortal worthy of him. Especially not her.
I didnt come here to punish you, he said.
She remembered the accusation shed launched at him while hed had her pinned to the wall, her lips stinging from the brutal kiss hed forced on her. A kiss she might have enjoyed under any other circumstances. But at that moment, as scared as shed been of the shadows and of her feelings for him, shed needed gentle.
Until gentle hadnt been enough for her riotous body.
Im glad, she said softly.
You believe me? Just like that? He snapped his fingers.
Yes.
His gaze jerked to her, crackling with the same flickering heat as the fire. Why?
Because I want to.
An angry shake of his head, dark hair whipping against his cheeks. Or maybe because youre grateful to me.
She licked her lips, tasting him in the air, knowing they were now talking about something entirely different. No.
Or because you merely wish to keep me strong.
No.
Certainly not because you desire me, he said, his tone sharp as a whip. Not because you hunger for me.
He wanted her to say it, wanted her to admit her desire for him while they were separated. That way, she couldnt claim passion spoke for her. More than that, he wanted her to say it without offering her the same admission. Not at first, and maybe not after. Either way, shed be taking a risk. While a denial could save her pride, he might turn away from her, now and always. And while agreement could cause her major embarrassment, it could also bring her a pleasure unlike any shed known before. So, no contest.
Yes, she admitted. Because I desire you, hunger for you.
Silence once again reigned, and she wasnt sure if hed heard her or cared. Then his gaze shifted away from her, only to jerk back to her a second later, as if he lacked the strength to battle his own needs, the blue of his eyes mixed with glimmers of demon-red and black. Eerie and haunting, but not frightening. Not anymore.
I wasnt sure what I would do with you when I found you, he said, his voice more gravel than anything. Save you, yes. Definitely. Sleep with you, yes, that, too. I want you so badly I ache. All the time, I ache, but even though I want to keep you, part of me has always known that I would have to leave you afterward. I cant do permanent, even with you.
Even, hed said, as if she were special. And the fact that hed copped to his own feelings of desire caused her hunger for him to return in full force. Her entire body trembled, and had she been standing, she would have collapsed. I know youll have to leave me, she said. It wasnt something she could blame him for, because she couldnt stay with him, either.
He dragged in a breath, his fingers clenched on the rocks he still held. I will not lie to you, and I will not cheat on you, and if we tried for something more, I would have to do both.
Like hed done with that woman, Susan.
Being with you may not affect my demon, may not strengthen me. I dont know, because I havent had the same woman twice since my possession. If it doesnt work, Ill have to leave you sooner than expected and findsomeone else.
There was no reason for him to know that the thought of him with another woman ate at her, leaving raw, oozing wounds. I know.
Because you saw
Susan. Yes.
Sadness flickered in his eyes, then anger. He ran his tongue over his teeth, as though her response had somehow pricked his temper. If that happens, Ill tell you. Ill tell you first, before I leave, and no matter what, Ill come back to you. Ill make sure you reach the exit. But after that, we have to We say goodbye, once and for all.
The fire must have been doing its job, but the cavern seemed to warm in an instant, the cold vanquished. Perhaps her body had simply sucked that cold inside. She felt chilled to the bone. Paris wasnt going to protest her return to the Hunters. She wondered if he would object to her involvement with Galen, if it became necessary, but wasnt going to ask. As much as she wanted to know the answer, she didnt want to know the answer.
Knowing all of that, do you still want to be with me? he asked.
His tone implied he didnt give a shit about her answer. That hed shrug and easily find someone else if she said no. But he was holding his breath, she realized, his cheeks flushing under the strain. He did want her, and he did care whether or not she wanted him back.
I still want to be with you, she said. Still want you.
He searched her face, clearly satisfied by what he saw, because he nodded. Good. Now take off your clothes and get in the water.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
PARIS WATCHED AS SIENNA dropped her shirt on the floor, where shed already kicked her pants. Now she stood in her bra and panties. Plain, white. And yet, clinging to her perfect little body, they were the sexiest garments hed ever seen.
His erection stretched past his navel, the base wider than his wrist. Yeah, he wanted her that badly.
More, Sex pleaded.
The rest, he croaked. She was so beautifulso strong. Hed come all this way, done all those terrible things, and yet she had freed herself from Cronuss hold. When Paris looked past his own masculine pride, he was glad about that. She had fought her demon and won, something he had never been able to do. Whatever happened outside this realm, she would be okay.
What happened inside of it, however
Shouldnt do this, he thought, even as he repeated, The rest. Now.
She unhooked the bra, dropped the garment on top of the others. Rosy nipples pearled from the lingering coolness in the air, topping off breasts he wanted in his mouth. Her thumbs slid under the waist of her panties and tugged. Down the exquisite length of her legs, until she was a whole lot of naked. His gaze was riveted on the dark triangle of curls shielding his favorite place in this realm or any other.
She shifted uncomfortably, her arms lifting and lowering as if she wanted to cover herself but kept talking herself out of doing so.
Youre perfect. So sweet and perfect. Slender, finely boned, with that deliciously freckled skin, each mark reminding him of a little drop of candy. He was going to lick her from top to bottom.
When they parted, there would be no part of her he hadnt tasted.
Frowning, she looked herself over. How can you say that about me?
If youre about to insult yourself, I suggest you zip your mouth and get in the water.
His waspish tone had her blinking. Youre mad.
Hell, yeah, he was mad. When I tell you how beautiful you are, and you express doubt, youre basically calling me a liar.
No, I dont mean Its just that She paused, reminding him of the babbling, uncertain woman hed smacked into in Rome. The one who had fascinated him so completely, the one whod prattled so charmingly. Men just dont
Men. He cursed with enough heat to blister. Thats good, because otherwise Id have to kill them. She was his and anyone else who looked at her, anyone else who thought to touch her Stop right there. Keep the possessiveness to a minimum. This is temporary. Has to be temporary.
Paris, she said, a hitch to her voice.
Yes. He wanted to look away, couldnt look away.
I think youre beautiful, too. With that, as if she hadnt just undone him, she turned toward the spring. He saw the elegant, and bruised, line of her back. Saw where those violet-and-jet wings grew in two perfect rows, saw the obsidian butterfly tattoo etched between them.
The curve of her spine made his mouth water. There were two indentions at the base, just above her ass. And speaking of her asshad he ever seen anything more lovely? Enough to grab while he pounded deep inside her, toned, four freckles forming a starlike pattern on the right cheek.
He could worship there for hours, days.
More. Please, more. Need to touch.
A moan of bliss left her as she sank into the steaming water. She disappeared underneath the surface, saturating her hair, then came back up sputtering.
Here. His arm shook as he withdrew a thin, wrapped bar of soap from his pocket. Embarrassment doused him when he noted he was trembling.
She accepted gratefully, her fingers brushing his palm. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow. Thank you. You were smart to travel with one of these. Ill have to remember to do that.
Yeah. He wasnt going to explain his reason for doing so. He wasnt going there with her. Ever.
Telling her that he always carried a bar, that he never knew whose bed hed end up in, or what kind of person hed be with, or how dirty hed feel afterward, or that he carried soap like other men carried condomsnot smart. A mood ruiner for sure.
And speaking of condoms, could he tell her the truth? He couldnt catch an STD, so he couldnt pass one on; pregnancy was rare between an immortal and a human, much less a dead human; and while he hated sleeping with strangers, hated being so intimate with them, his demon needed the skin-to-skin contact. So, no condom, even though his shaft had come into contact with thousands of people. She would be disgusted.
He shouldnt have pushed her for a sexual relationship when he had nothing more to offer her. He should have given her time to make a more informed decision, but he didnt have time. They didnt have time. In two days, he would lose her. And the thing was, Sex needed fulfillment now. So, yeah, if she would let him, he would take her.
He settled at the springs ledge, need for her clawing at him. If they did thisthey were so doing thisand Sex wasnt satisfied immediately afterward, Paris wouldwhat? Do what hed told her he would do and find someone else?
Dont think about that right now. He would lose control of his temper.
Already the darkness inside him swirled, craving a release of its own, making him feel as though he were possessed by two demons, each with separate needs. Sex, needing sex, and Violence, needing bloodshed. But Maddox carried the demon of Violence, so there went that theory.
Whatever. It doesnt matter. Only Sienna and this moment matter.
Sienna.
Soon she would leave this realm, the heavens, and hide from Cronus. No way would Paris allow her to hunt Galen. He would convince her to remain tucked away, and that was that. She would be safe, and Paris would return to his friends. To his war. To his old life.
A sick, pitiful existence, but, hell, after all the people hed hurt throughout the centuries, he deserved it. Especially for what hed done to Susan.
Hed truly admired and respected Susan. Had promised her fidelity even though he couldnt give it, and had slowly broken her heart. He wouldnt do that to another woman.
But He yearned for more than random couplings. He yearned for monogamy.
He yearned for Sienna.
You can have her, Sex said.
Only to lose her.
No argument there.
Why have you allowed me to harden for her on multiple occasions, even though weve had her, yet you have never done the same with another? Over and over hed asked this question, and always the answer was the same.
I dont know. It just happens.
A lot of things just happened. While Paris hated the prospect of the upcoming separation from Sienna, she had easily agreed to their two-day limit. Had to be that way, yeah, but damn. Would a little fight about it have killed her?
Shit. He was being unreasonable, the darkness still driving his emotions. If he wanted this woman, he should have her. If he wanted to keep her, he should have her always. End of story.
Should, should, should. You couldnt live with shoulds, could you. Only woulds.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He had a direct view of Sienna as she bathed. She lathered herself up, and damn if he wasnt transfixed as the bubbles cascaded down her breasts, caught on her nipples, then resumed their journey to her navel.
Sienna, I have to tell you something. He ducked his head, too humiliated to face her. After this, she might walk, no chance of sex, but he had to do this or his conscience would never forgive him.
You can tell me anything.
Theyd soon find out. After your death I had toyou knowand even on my way here, I
What are you doing? You know its better if they never know what happens when were done with them.
We. You mean you. When you are done.
I know, she said, quieting both the demon and him.
No accusations, no making him unload the gory details. He liked that about her. A lot. She probably had no idea how rare that acceptance was, but he did. The last time was a few days ago, I swear. I kept thinking Id find you, and I wanted to be with you and only you when that happened.
Paris, we werent dating. We werent committed. The last thing I said to you was that I hated you. And Im sorry for that, I really am. So dont beat yourself up about your actions. You did nothing wrong. Water splashed as she closed the distance between them. She stood and warm, wet hands wound around his neck, twirling the ends of his hair.
He rested his forehead on the curve of her shoulder. Soft, soft skin, scented so sweetly his head did that fogging thing. Sex went crazy, too, perhaps even more desperate to touch and taste her than Paris was. I wouldnt be so understanding with you. If you had slept with another man, even though we werent dating, even though we werent committed, I wouldrage. He still wouldnt lie to her.
And what he would do afterward, when they split
At me?
No. Maybe. I dont know. His arms shot out and dragged her closer, needing her closer. Water soaked his shirt to his chest. Her nipples rasped at him, creating the most sizzling of frictions. I want you all to myself.
She carried the sun under her skin, lighting him up every time he neared her. The jade and copper in her eyes were a lush, thriving valley he could lose himself in. Her mouth inspired every one of his most erotic fantasies.
Yes! This is what Ive needed, what Ive been craving.
What Paris had been craving.
Since you, she told him softly, theres been no one, and before you, years had passed.
Years. The concept baffled him as much as it pleased him.
He wasthe only man Ive ever I thought I would marry him, she said. He was a Hunter, the one who recruited me. A pause rife with a thousand sharp edges, then, Im changing the subject, but only a little. I would like to express one more doubt about, um, myself, before we continue.
He stiffened, suspecting where she was headed and dreading it with every fiber of his being.
She hurried on. I know weve been together before, and you know Im just me. But this time its different, because I know you better, know myself better, and Im afraid that youll That I wont be That I cant compare. To the others.
Yeah. Exactly where hed thought she was headed. He dropped a kiss onto her collarbone, licked where his lips had been, then sucked hard enough to leave his mark. She gasped.
Im afraid I wont measure up, too, he admitted. Here I am, the keeper of Sex. What if I cant please you? What if I cant live up to your expectations? And Sienna, he added before she had time to respond, the others, they cant compare to you.
Hed been with thousands, yes, and hed done his best to leave each one satisfied. Hed been using them, after all, so it was the least he could do. But making them come hadnt been for their benefit; it had been for his, something to ease the sting of his guilt. Had he actually cared about their pleasure? No.
Oh, Paris. Those dainty, beautiful hands smoothed over his back. The motions were rhythmic, graceful, waking up parts of him he hadnt known existed. How about this? Today youre just a man and Im just a woman. Theres no past, no future, only the present. We do what feels good. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Ah, hell. She kept that up and he would blow before he got inside her. Shed offered him the sexiest words hed ever heard, ever hoped to hear, and it was another reason to like her. She did more than arouse him. She comforted him.
Yeah. Id like that, he said.
Me, too!
Thats enough out of you. He settled his big hands on Siennas tiny hips, lifted her out of the water and set her on the rocky edge beside him. The warmth of the water had flushed her skin, and now, droplets traveled all the places he wanted to go. He moved in front of her, crouching, rocking back on his heels before settling on his knees. Slowly he drew his hands along the tops of her thighs. He stopped at her knees, his thumbs dabbling underneath for several minutes before he applied pressure and opened her up as wide as he could get her. She was pink, wet and glistening.
He should tongue her nipples first, and he meant to. That had been the plan. Open her up, slide closer and pay proper homage to those sweet little buds. Except, now that he had a direct view of the prettiest feminine core hed ever seen, there would be no starting up top and working his way down. He wanted that. Now. Wanted her dripping.
I need you in my mouth. Down my throat. All over me. Tell me you need that, too.
I
Tell me.
Yes. Please, Paris. Now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
NO TEASING HIM, NO TORMENTING him. His woman deserved a reward. Paris pressed a soft kiss where his thumbs had played, just behind her knees, then licked and nibbled his way upup A tremor moved through her, a perfect mimic of the vibrations Sex was throwing at him.
He leaned closercloser stillbreathed deeply, taking in the erotic scent of her desire. His blood fired, burning through him, scorching everything in its path and leaving only the desire. It was all he knew, all he wanted to know. Then he was there, right on her, licking his way up her center.
She cried out, the hoarse sound blending with his moan of rapture. Her arousal coated his tongue and he swallowed her, instantly addicted. His eyes closed as he savored. Wasnt just ambrosia he was tasting, either. Beneath the tropical syrupiness of the drug, there was a unique flavor all her own, something wine-rich and decadent. And for the first time in his life, he thought he could actually taste the aphrodisiac his demon released. Sweet as honey, rich with spice, it filled his mouth, coated his throat, seeped from his skin, blending with Siennas succulence.
How many times had he dreamed of doing this to her, with her? Countless. Hed waited so long, and at times, hed feared he would never know the reality. Nothing should have been able to live up to the languorous feasting hed envisioned, but this not only lived up, it surpassed. She was everything hed ever craved, and more.
Her fingers tangled in his hair, applying the most arousing sort of pressure. His woman wanted him back, attending to her need. There was no headier knowledge. He licked back up her core, but this time he didnt pull away. He swirled the tip of his tongue around her clitoris, teasing, taunting, driving her passion higher. Hell, driving his own higher.
He was starved for her, his cock throbbing against his fly.
Not there, she instructed. Youre almost there. Please, just a little closer and youll be there. The words gasped from her. Her hips undulated as she sought to place his tongue directly on that swollen clitoris.
And she thought she was bad at kissing and sex? Silly female.
He penetrated her core, sinking his tongue inside her, fast, faster, glorying as she panted his name, as her essence covered his face, as he swallowed her down, as her nails sank into his scalp, as her hips twirled and met his thrusts, as she arched into him, retreated, arched again.
Paris! Yes, yes. There!
When he felt her tensing, edging ever closer to release, he fit his lips over her clit and sucked, hard, at the same time driving two, then three, fingers deep, so deep. He scissored them, shifting depth and width in a constant stream of motion, and just when she reached the pinnacle of climax, he backed off a fraction, slowing his movements. Her moans tapered into incoherent mumblings, her hips following him, circling, trying to lure him back within those satiny walls.
Paris! Finish me.
I want to make you feel good.
I do, promise.
But you want more.
Yes. Please!
Very well. A ruthless plunge of his fingers, scissoring over and over, his tongue flicking over that swelling bud, and she climaxed with violent force, her inner walls clenching on him. A scream tore from her, so loud and bracing it cracked her vocals. He loved it, reveled in the knowledge that he had brought her to this point.
His desperation grew critical, and he had to remove his fingers from her and clamp onto her thighs to hold himself steady, to stop himself from ripping at his zipper and slamming home.
He stayed like that until she calmed. Finally her shoulders sagged, and her head lolled forward. Those midnight wings trembled, glimmering like polished ebony. She was panting shallowly, her bottom lip cut from where shed bitten down.
When her slumberous gaze met his, he brought his fingers to his mouth and licked at her arousal. He couldnt get enough of her, didnt think he would ever get enough.
Her pupils expanded, consuming those hazel irises and leaving only black. Black velvet, smooth and endless. He could lose himself and never care to be found.
Take off your clothes, she whispered. Please. Let me have you now.
He grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged, ducking to free his head from the materials confinement. Her hands found his pecs a second later, her palms pressing into his nipples.
Your heart is racing, she said, clearly awed by that fact.
In that moment, his heart beat for her. Only her. Hed never craved a female this much. And that she knew what he was, what hed done, and wanted him anyway He moved in and fit his mouth around one of her rosy little nipples, sucking hard then easing the sting with a flick of his tongue. He turned his head and did the same to the other, leaving his mark on them both. Branding her, so that when she saw herself in a mirror she would know she belonged to someone else. To him, only him.