Ignoring thoughts of tomorrow’s mission, as well as thoughts of any other beds she might want to share, I pressed my lips to her warm skin and growled against her neck, the vibration making her squirm.
“It seems you misunderstood my intentions, angel. When I said I was going to ruin you tonight? I meant it. So no, I’m not ready to call it a night. In fact, I’m just getting started.”
19
HALEY
Jax made my head spin as fast as he made my heart race.
Being with him was like climbing Everest and walking on hot coals and skydiving all in the same day—danger mixed with excitement mixed with raw adrenaline and an obsession that just kept growing inside me, every time we were together.
When I first met that sexy-ass bartender at Saints and Sinners, he’d intimidated the hell out of me. Now? Now he pushed me. Hard, then soft. Made me question my assumptions and challenge myself in ways I’d never bothered to before—ways I hadn’t thought I was capable of. He made me want to stop running, to turn around and face my proverbial demons head-on.
And when things got to be too much, he brought me right back from the brink with a seductive growl or a heart-melting kiss or the simple pleasure of a back rub that made me feel cherished and cared for.
Jax was a fear demon, a monster forged in hell who fed on the terror of others and had the power to bring people to their knees… Yet somehow, I was stronger and braver because of him.
And the sex?
Holy. Fuck.
My whole body flushed all over again, the ghost of his hands and mouth lingering, my nerves still buzzing with pleasure in all the places he’d so expertly touched me. Teased me. Claimed me.
But more than that—more thanallof that—the way he’d trusted me tonight, the things he’d shared, the moment he’d finally lowered his guard and let me behind his walls…
When he left the bathroom without his patch, I knew. Right then, I knew.
I was falling for him. Hard.
And I was pretty sure he was falling, too.
The thought set loose a thousand butterflies in my stomach, making me feel light and giddy despite our current predicament.
After I finished up in the bathroom, I slipped into one of the thick, luxurious guest robes and headed out with every intention of joining my demon in bed, more than ready for Operation Ruination to continue.
But on my first night as Midnight captive, locked away in a massive stone castle carved by trolls, curiosity was an invitation I couldn’t ignore.
Rather than heading back into the suite, I found myself padding out into the gallery hallway on bare feet, my heart thudding like it used to when I was a kid sneaking into Nona’s kitchen for a stolen, late-night piece of her homemade tiramisu.
Back then, even when I got caught, it’d always been worth it.
Just a little exploring,I told myself now.Five minutes, ten tops.
The first three sets of doors beyond the suite were locked, but the fourth opened easily, revealing an impressive library larger than our entire suite, with rows upon rows of bookshelves. The back wall was curved, its towering windows offering a stunning view of the city.
There were no magickal chandeliers. No torches lit along the wall. Only the light of the moons and the flicker of red lightning on the horizon, illuminating the jagged peaks beyond.
Incredible.
I headed inside, slowly taking it all in. It reminded me of the city itself, an entire room carved out of raw black obsidian, a mix of smooth, polished-glass surfaces and rough-hewn edges jagged enough to slice through flesh.
Like much of the castle, the library was spotless and pristine, but it held a coldness to it. A darkness that had nothing to do with the absence of light and everything to do with Midnight itself.
The sight of it stirred something inside me—something beyond mere curiosity. With every step that brought me deeper into the room, my heart galloped harder, the hairs on my arms standing at attention. It felt as if the red lightning had charged the air, electrifying everything it touched.
Silently I crept along the rows of shelves, skimming spines etched with symbols and elegant script I couldn’t decipher—probably an old fae language. I longed to touch them, to crack open their leather covers, but the last thing I needed was to open the wrong book and summon a demon—not the sexy kind—or unleash an ancient curse on the realm.
I continued on toward the curved back wall and found a reading alcove tucked off to the side, complete with a soft leather chair and a small table set with a flickering black candle. Beside it, a stack of old journals tipped precariously, the top one spread open.
