I’d never seen a God of Death, but Casteel looked like one then.
And even though I knew he wouldn’t harm me, I knew he was far more dangerous now than he’d ever been. Every ounce of common sense I had in me said I should probably step back.
“I would prefer it if,” he spoke, and my breath hitched at the sound of his voice. It had completely changed, taking on a smoky undertone, each word laced with icy shadows that sent a tight shiver rippling over my skin. “You never say the wordsinside youand Kolis in the same sentence again.”
“I…I would prefer that, too,” I whispered. Not even I sounded like that when I tapped into the more destructive side of my powers. And apparently, I didn’t possess that much common sense. Not only was I not stepping back, but I was actually feeling something wholly inappropriate in response to that voice, the way he looked, and the power radiating off him. And that reaction was notforced.
There was something very, very wrong with me.
Casteel lifted his hands to cradle my face. His touch was cold, but it elicited a hot, needy rush of desire in me. “Kolis is no longer with you.”
“Okay,” I breathed.
“We severed the connection.” His head lowered. When he spoke again, his lips brushed mine. “I can smell your desire. Sweet and smoky. I can taste it.”
I couldn’t even try to deny that I was turned on. The ache between my thighs wouldn’t allow it.
“I am curious as to how this conversation is arousing you.”
“It’s not the conversation,” I told him, ignoring the desire to lean into him. “It’s you.”
His nose glided across mine as his fingers trailed down the sides of my neck. “Of course, it’s me.”
I started to frown.
“But that doesn’t answer my question.”
What was his question? Oh. Right. Why was I aroused right now? “I can see the essence in you and hear it in your voice.”
His hands halted at the base of my throat. “And that has made you wet?”
My eyes widened, heat flaring in my cheeks.
Cas chuckled, and…my gods, even that sounded dark and smoky. “Naughty,” he murmured, the skin of his hands warming. “We need to finish this conversation.” He caught my lower lip between his, and the ache pulsed. “So, behave yourself.”
I blinked.
Cas lifted his head. A smirk played across his lips as the shadows faded from his face. “Are youableto behave yourself?”
My eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. But I’m pretty sure I’ll knock you through a wall if you tell me to behave myself one more time.”
His laugh was lighter and warmer, sounding more like the Cas I knew.
Smoothing my hands over my stomach, I refocused on the extremely important topic. “How was the connection severed?”
“I asked Reaver to return to Iliseeum to see if anyone knew of a way.” He went to the table and turned over two slender glasses. “Luckily, he found someone.”
I pressed a hand to my stomach. “The gods are awake.”
Picking up the decanter, he looked over his shoulder at me. An eyebrow rose.
“I didn’t forget that,” I explained. “Okay. I temporarily forgot it.”
“Understandable.” He turned his attention back to the table.
“Which god helped?”
“It wasn’t a god.” Cas poured some deep-red liquid into the glasses. “It was a Primal.”
