“Didn’t know what?” he inquired when I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth.
I couldn’t stop my gaze from running over him. It lingered on his full mouth before traveling over his broad shoulders, tapered waist, and finally settling on the enticing bulge in the front of his pants. I bit my bottom lip and tore my attention away from it to look at anything other than him.
“Didn’t knowwhat, River?”
The gravelly tone of his voice did funny things to my insides. “They looked like they were enjoying themselves.”
“Oh, they were.” The purr of his voice drew my attention back to him. “It isextremelypleasurable with a demon. We’re known for our stamina and… size.”
A shiver raced down my spine. The goose bumps breaking out on my flesh had nothing to do with the air blowing over my dampened hair and skin. I rubbed my arms, but found the sensation only made my body feel more alive.
When I looked at him again, I found his gaze latched onto the front of my shirt. Glancing down, I realized my nipples stood out against the thin material. I hadn’t bothered to put a bra on before going to use the bathroom, so they were now clearly visible for him to see.
I folded my arms hastily over my chest to cover them. When his eyes lifted to mine again, they were that striking gold color I’d seen only once before. My heart felt like it would explode out of my chest. It might actually latch itself onto him if it did, I realized in disgust—everything in me wanted to latch onto him.
“They do that willingly?” I croaked out.
“Didn’t they look willing?”
“Well, yeah,” I hedged, “I’ve never seen humans act like that before.”
A smile curved his mouth; it was anything but kind. “There are many things you’ve never seen humans do that they do often. You expected it of my kind though.”
“I don’t know what to expect of your kind,” I admitted.
“We take pleasure where we can find it, much like humans, except we have none of the reservations about it your species does. And we havemanyneeds we satisfy as often as we can and with whomever is willing.”
“Why aren’t you at the fire with them?” I managed to get out past the lump in my throat.
“Because I don’t wish to be.”
“But you have been?”
“Many times.”
“And with many women.”
It wasn’t a question, but he replied anyway, “Yes.”
I couldn’t stop myself from wincing when the image of that woman from earlier, with her head in betweenhislegs, blazed into my mind. A red-hot poker of jealousy pierced my chest. Just once it would be nice if he pulled some punches, but the only thing he ever held back on were things concerning and affectingmylife.
Ugh, I hated them all, I decided.
“And now I have to watch over you,” he continued.
Nope, I simply hatedhim.
“I don’t needanyone to watch over me,” I grated out. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m able to defend myself better than any other human here. So don’t use me as your excuse. Go, have fun.”
I spun on my heel to return to the tent, but his hand snaked out and his fingers enclosed around my wrist, jerking me back around to face him. I didn’t have time to protest before he pulled my body flush against his. My breath rushed out of me; my body reacted as if it were hit by an electrical bolt.
A blast of power rushed from him and into me. I moaned, and my head tilted back as I instinctively sought to get closer. I didn’t know if it was his desire causing such a rush, or if he’d let some of his defenses against me down, but I’d never felt this flood of energy from him before.
Rising onto my toes, I gasped when the movement brought the bulge between his legs into contact with the yearning, sensitive area between my thighs. I didn’t know what possessed me to do it, but I rubbed against him, crying out when the motion caused pleasure to scorch through my body.
I felt crazed and out of control for him as I ground against him again and again. The whole time, he watched me from those amber eyes, his body unmoving as his erection swelled further.
Breath heaving, I gradually regained control of myself as the initial rush ebbed. The pulse of his power continued to beat against me, but I could handle it now without feeling as if I were going to crawl all over him and tear his clothes off. However, my fingers still itched to shred his shirt from him, to run my tongue over his body, and taste his fire-scented flesh.
