“I can’t condone what you did to Eileen,” Isaid.
The faint, fiery scent of his skin drifted tome as he moved closer to me. He smelled better than the ocean, Idecided, and he was such an opposite force from the sea that hadbeen such an integral part of my life before him. Fire and waterhad become everything to me.
“I know I handle things with you badlysometimes, but it’s only because Ihaveto keep you with me for as long as I’mallowed to have you. When I saw that woman trying to kill you and Icouldn’t get to you…”
He broke off, and for the first time ever, Isaw a vulnerability in him I’d never imagined could exist. Themolten-gold color his eyes became robbed me of my breath. I lovedthose obsidian pools, but these amber eyes, so much more human withtheir whites around his cornea, were more feral and wolf-like. Theywere morehim.
“I snapped. I’m not saying it won’t happenagain. It will if your life is at stake,” he said. “And I will nothesitate to do it again. Not for you. But I will not do it withsuch haste again, and I will not kill a human unless it isnecessary.”
I remained unmoving, unsure of what to say ordo. He was overbearing, bossy, impatient, and vicious, but hedidcare for me. And I had lost myheart to him before I’d even realized it. I was bound to him insome way I could never explain and couldn’t deny.
“What if Lucifer somehow gets a hold of me,and don’t say it will never happen. It could. What then?”
“Then I will do everything I can to get youback.”
“He must be stopped.”
“I know.”
I seized his hand, drawing his eyes away frommy lips and back to me. “No matter what it takes, he must bestopped.”
His hand squeezed mine. “I will do whateveris necessary to put back to right what Lucifer and the humans havedestroyed.”
“Including sacrificing me.”
I could feel the fury vibrating through himas his muscles bulged before me. “I will do what must be done.There are thousands of demons depending on me, fighting for me.They have been for over fifteen hundred years. I won’t let themdown.”
I rested my palm against his cheek, relishingin his flesh beneath my hand. My body reacted as if it had beenstarved and was finally being sated as it jerked toward him andgolden-white sparks of life danced over my fingers.
“I will defend your life with my own, River,”he grated.
“I’m scared of what I could become.”
“I know, but I’m not.”
I didn’t argue with him further. I couldn’t.He believed in me and I believed in him.
My hand pressed more firmly against his cheekas he held my gaze. A wetness spread between my legs as my starvedbody prepared itself for what it had been lacking.Him.
Growling low in his throat, his hands settledon my waist and he dragged me against him, sleeping bag and all.His teeth bashed against mine when his mouth claimed my lips in abrutal assault. I eagerly welcomed him as our lips ground togetherand my mouth opened to the demanding probing of his tongue. Heswept past my lips and into my mouth to taste me in deep,penetrating thrusts that had me nearly going out of my mind withneed.
Too long. Denied for fartoo long.
I needed him and the rush of life and powerhe brought to me. Needed him inside of me, claiming and marking meagain. The sensuous dance of his tongue entwining with mine had metugging at his hair and grinding against his erection like a wildwoman.
Yes, we’d both been starved, and I didn’tcare how brutal it was. I wanted him inside of me so badly I foundmyself pawing at his back and chest. Grabbing hold of my sleepingbag, he jerked it back. I didn’t know if the zipper came undone orif he simply tore it apart, and I didn’t care. The night airbrushing over my skin did nothing to cool the ardor growing withinme.
A mewl escaped me when he pulled back, hislips brushing against mine as he spoke. “No going back, no denyingme. If we do this tonight, River, I will never let you go again.Ever.”
His amber eyes searched mine as savageryradiated from him. I couldn’t catch my breath, couldn’t think. Iknew he meant those words, knew if I tried to escape him again, hewould never let me walk away. If I tried to, I may become the thingthat destroyed the man he was now and turned him into something farmore savage and uncaring, like Lucifer.
But could I throw myself into this? Could Ipush aside all doubts and worries and give myself over completely?Then I recalled Corson’s words to me right after I’d separatedmyself from Kobal. “Will you survive withouthim?”
The answer now had been the same as it wasthen, no.
This powerful bond between us, our uncertainfuture, and Lucifer’s words all frightened me, but I couldn’tcontinue on without him. He was a piece of me.
His eyes became distant, and his hold on meeased as he started to draw away from me while I tried to puteverything together. “I won’t ever tell you to go again,” Iwhispered.
