“Right,” I say, taking a moment to absorb that unpleasant fact before moving on. “When a nephilim or an incubus is born, they are usually claimed by the supernatural realms and raised there rather than in Strata.”
“The human parent doesn’t get a say?” Leah gapes.
“I know, it’s not fair. But Strata law prefers it that way and probably most humans do too. They’re not great with accepting those who are different, and most mixed-blood children won’t grow into their supernatural traits if not raised around ephilium or demons.”
“I’m just wondering why my power started showing up now,” she says. “Do you think it’s because of the ephilium blood you’ve been giving me? Maybe it woke something up in my body?”
“It’s certainly possible,” I say, rising to go to her. “We’d have to get Viz to look into it.” I put my hands on either side of her armchair and lean down until our lips are almost touching. She closes the distance between us, her mouth parting needily as it meets mine, and I slip my tongue over hers, pulling another sigh from her. This one is much more delicious than the tired noise she made before.
“I won’t let this create problems for us,” I say when we break apart. “There’s no reason why you can’t stay here with me.”
Her eyes widen. “Is that what you want?” she asks quietly.
I bend my face to hers again, finding it easier to speak the words when I’m murmuring them against her lips. “It’s what Ineed,” I say. “You’ve unlocked something in me, Leah. I was sleepwalking through things before, but you’ve woken me up. It’s not that I hated being a demon, or Malice, but I resented them for everything they represented. All the things I couldn’t have. Until you…you made me think maybe Icouldhave something for myself—and that made me see life in Infernum differently. Everything looks different through your eyes.”
I don’t meet her gaze, unsure how she’ll react, not knowing if this will be too much for her. But when she pulls me down on top of her to kiss each of the runes on my scarred face, I have my wonderful, perfect answer.
I slide my hand into her hair, tilting her head so her lips meet mine, and our kisses soon take on a hungrier note. It’s only been hours since I was wrenched from her in Strata, but it still feels like too much time apart—too long since I was as close to her as I could possibly be, mind against mind and body against body.
From the way she presses into me, lifting her hips to meet mine, she feels the same. The thought fills me with a fire that warms me—burns me—from the inside out.
“Syrus,” she breathes against me, making me feel lightheaded. “I need you too.”
I don’t know which is more consuming, wanting her so intensely or feeling so wanted in turn. Not feared and bowed to as a king or a lord, but desired and yearned for as a man.
“You have me,” I reply, my hands exploring her waist, then slipping over the curve of her thighs.
But Leah apparently has other ideas. She grabs onto my biceps and pushes herself up, flipping our positions so she’s shoving me down into the chair instead. I go happily, laughing at how eagerly she wedges herself between my legs and starts to unbutton my shirt.
That laughter quickly turns to a hum of arousal as her thigh presses against my erection and she pulls my shirt open.
“Need to touch you,” she murmurs, sliding her hands across my chest. I arch into her touch, reveling in the simple pleasure of her soft fingers caressing me, drifting down across my stomach. I lift my hands, sliding them over her hips, but she quickly bends forward, replacing her hands with her lips, tracing my abs with the tip of her tongue as she sinks to her knees and unfastens my pants.
“Leah,” I groan, my cock growing somehow harder in anticipation of what she’s about to do. She smirks up at me wickedly from between my legs.
“You said before you liked the mouth on me,” she says, her green eyes sparkling as she frees me from my pants. “But you haven’t seen half of what it can do yet.”
I watch, drinking in every moment, as she wraps her hand around the base of my shaft and lowers her lips to my tip. They’re plump and red from my kisses, and I mutter a stream of breathless curses watching them slide around the head of my cock.
My eyes start to flutter closed as I’m overwhelmed by the tight, wet heat of her mouth, but I force them back open, not wanting to miss a second of this. It’s too perfect.She’stoo perfect, taking me deeper, swallowing me down as she works the base of my cock with her clever fingers.
I rest my palm gently on the back of her head, just wanting to touch her, to let her know how appreciative I am. She hums around me, igniting jolts of pleasure.
“Darkness, you’re so good…so good to me…” I mumble, unable to find more words as the pressure builds. I want to show her exactlyhowgood that is—to make her feel like she makes me feel—but I’m dangerously close to coming completely undone right here and now.
“Leah…” I slide my hand down her cheek, and she releases me from her mouth with a questioning look. I steal a moment to take in her flushed face and swollen lips before continuing.
“My bedroom is just next door,” I say, my voice rough like sandpaper as I cradle her jaw.
She gets the message, her green eyes darkening as she starts to rise from her knees. I capture her in my arms on the way up, pulling her into a messy kiss as I stand and carry her into the adjoining bedroom. I lay her out on the bed like a gift, slowly unwrapping her. Every trace of tiredness is gone, and I want to take my time, peppering kisses across her collarbone and teasing her peaked nipples with my tongue. After everything that happened today—considering theworstthat could’ve happened—I need to memorize every inch of her, record forever in my mind the way she feels and tastes, the sounds she makes as I slide my fingers between her thighs.
She chases my touch, moving against me with gratifyingly wild moans, but there’s an impatience to it.
“Syrus,” she whines. “I can’t wait. I want you,” she wraps her legs up around me, pulling me down against her so she can whisper in my ear. “Everywhere. Please, please just fuck me while you’re inside me, like last time. That’s what I need.”
Even if I wanted to say no, how could I resist her begging me to enter her mind and body, letting me claim her wholly and completely? There’s no force in the three realms which would have me deny her now, have me denyusthis exquisite, unique experience.
“I thought you’d never ask,” I murmur, adjusting her hips to bring our bodies in line and locking eyes with her, wanting to watch her face as we’re joined together in every way once more.
