He sat in one of the chairs, his chest bare and his head thrown back. The look of rapture on his face robbed me of my breath. His long legs were bared and a deeply tanned hue that had not been acquired from the depths of Hell but more the fires themselves had bronzed his skin. His feet were planted into the ground, his knees bent.
The muscles of his neck stood out starkly as he emitted a guttural sound that made my pulse skyrocket. The tattoos running over his arms and shoulders appeared to come to life in the flickering lanterns. I swore the fangs of the hounds glimmered in the light playing over him. For the first time, I was able to see all of those markings on his front as more flames circled around his rock hard pecs but didn’t move beyond them.
I was so fixated on seeing him so bared to me, and entrenched in the throes of ecstasy, that it took me a minute to notice the woman in his lap. I don’t know how I hadn’t immediately seen her; she simply hadn’t existed when his stark beauty held me so completely captivated.
Now, the curve of her bare back, the spill of her dark hair cascading over her and him was all I could see. Unreasonable hurt filled me; my hand flew to my mouth to stifle the startled cry rushing up my throat at the sight of the naked woman rising and falling in his lap. She rode him with abandon and clearly enjoyed it if her cries and the increasing pace of her body were any indication. His hands ran down to grasp her ass to guide her movements.
I took a staggering step back. I never should have come here. I never should have been witness to this, but no matter how badly I wanted to flee, I found myself still standing there as my shock steadily built toward anger. Only last night he’d been holding me in an intimate way, his tongue and hands had been caressing me. Except I hadn’t gotten the chance to feel all of his bare flesh against mine like this woman was, to experience the pleasure he could give me.
And now I never would. I was nothing special to him as a part of me had almost started to believe. I was the mission, the goal. The one to use and protect. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t allow myself to ever be used in this way by him.Ever.
All I wanted was to get as far from him as possible, but I was stuck with him, my life tied to his in this hideous way until all of this was over. I knew he would never hand my care over to another demon, knew he wouldn’t release me until he’d gotten what he sought from me. I took another step back as I struggled not to release the tears burning my eyes or the scream of rage burning my throat.
“Kobal,” the woman panted in a husky voice resonating with sensuality.
Stretching out my hand, I went to grab the flap in order to get away, but my eyes were drawn inexplicably to him once more. His mouth was against the woman’s shoulder now; his eyes open and blazing that enthralling amber color. My breath caught when I found him watching me with a look of astonishment and hunger.
I’d been caught creepingagain. Instead of fleeing as any sane, somewhat human would do, I remained frozen, unable to make a single move. Those eyes continued to hold mine as his lips skimmed back to reveal his glistening fangs. The sight of those lengthening fangs caused warmth to spread between my legs.
His gaze never left mine as he raked them against the sensitive flesh of the woman’s neck. She cried out; her hands clasped more desperately at his shoulders, drawing him closer as his tongue swirled out to lick over her skin. I swore I felt his breath and tongue against my own shoulder as he tasted her flesh.
My breasts tingled, my nipples puckered. He seemed to know this as his eyes fastened on my chest in such a way that my thighs trembled.
How could he be staring at me with such desire while he was inside ofher? What was I still doing in here? Why hadn’t I fled? How could I be standing here watching him with another woman, whilehewatchedme?
Was I stuck in freaking quicksand? I wondered as my feet remained frozen to the ground.
The sheen of sweat on his body caused my tongue to lick over my lips with the urge to taste him. I’d lost my mind, I decided right then and there. He was having sex with another woman and I found myself longing for it to beme.
I finally managed to take a step back.
“Do you like this?” His words froze me before I could bolt out of here faster than a rabbit from a coyote.
His hands slid higher on the woman’s back when she panted, “Yes.”
He turned his head into her hair and, still holding my eyes, said into her ear, “Then come for me.”
My body reacted as if he’d said this to me. Unable to bite it back, a moan escaped me when he sank his fangs into her shoulder, something I would have believed excruciating, but the woman threw her head back and cried out in ecstasy.
I took another step back, torn between unanswered yearning and wanting to scream over my irrational reaction to him. A sane woman would have stormed out of here as soon as she’d entered.
She most certainly wouldn’t be watching him as he lowered his mouth to take one of the woman’s nipples into his mouth, nipping at it in such a way that the woman bucked and screamed as her fingers tore scratches into his shoulders. My need grew deeper as she marked him in this way, and I scented his blood on the air.
He lifted his head from her breast and, for the first time since he’d noticed me standing there, he looked away from me to focus on the woman. I tried not to, but I found myself helplessly following his gaze. My eyes landed on the woman as she arched against him and threw her head back again.
The world lurched out from under me as I gazed at her face while I started questioning my sanity all over again. I was looking at myownface. I couldn’t move while I watched her… me… her…
I couldn’t figure it out as the room spun around me. On wobbly legs, I took a step to the side and placed my hand against the thick canvas of the tent.
Movement drew my attention back to him. She… me… whoever had vanished and now it was only the two of us. His amber eyes burned into mine when he leaned forward and clasped his hands between his legs.
“Welcome to my dreams, River,” he murmured.
***
River
I jolted awake. My heart beat so forcefully, I could hear each pulse of it in my eardrums and feel it bashing against my ribs. I remained frozen, unable to move as the dream replayed over in my head. Not a dream, at least notmine.
