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"So what will it be, Yue?" Ekon ponders, rising in his seat. He stands, angling himself so no one but me can see his face. His huge body cages me against the wall, sending my blood to my head.

I should say no. I should tell him to go to hell. I should remind him he's a jackass. All of those words dance around on my tongue. Hell, I could even tell him I have self-respect... or fucking standards. Yet none of those words want to leave my lips. "Fine," I say. The word drops out of my mouth like a stone into still water, causing ripples to spread along the lake.

Those ripples appear in Ekon's eyes, flashing between gray and brown before settling on the former. My thighs shiver, nipples puckering in my bra before pushing against my lacy cups.

What did I just agree to?

Chapter 4 Ekon

Her words echo in my ears, scorching my insides. They roll over me, thumping inside my brain. Without a thought, I lift my hand, inching it closer to her. My locs fall forward when I lean, edging myself further into her space. Her signature scent, one of winter, engulfs me, luring me close until we're inches apart. Her breath quickens, stuttering while her eyes widen. Yue's luscious lips part, but no words leave her mouth. For the first time since I've known her, she is stuck.

Her knees dig into my thigh when she moves, angling her face away but pressing her body into mine. Her pulse moves rapidly in her throat, vibrating uncontrollably. My hand twitches, itching to lock around her throat and give her a hand necklace. My spine tingles, and the slits on my back, where my wings would drop from, follow suit. The tremors spread all over my body, clapping in time to the beat of my heart.

"Are you sure?" I ask, removing the smile from my face.

It's no secret Yue doesn't like me. She's fine with everyone else at the damn club, but she's snarky with me. So the thought of her pressing her lips against mine...

"I said fine, didn't I?" Yue asks, folding her arms over her chest.

"Yeah," I reply, voice dropping as if I've swallowed gravel. "You did."

Like a cheetah readying itself to pounce on its prey, I edge closer toward her. My hand extends, sliding along the back of her neck. Her body tenses, and a shudder rolls from her lips. She doesn't stop me when I yank her head toward me, clasping her neck roughly. Hell, she doesn't stop me when my hand slides to the front of her throat, holding her in place. Our lips are less than a breath away from each other. Her heart pounds inside her chest, fluttering her pulse wickedly.

Her fingers move, sinking into my locs. She twirls them, tugging one and sending a delicious burst of pain throughout my body. I've never let a woman pull my fucking hair... but shit. I'm open to it. Her fingers grip my hair, and I follow suit, pulling a few coils. They bounce back right away. Dipping my head, I connect our lips, and for some fucking reason, my eyes close. My tongue slides against hers, hot and wet. Bourbon and tequila mix in our mouths. My dick hardens, filling to life in seconds. Opening my mouth further, I hold her in place and dominate her lips. My mouth moves against hers, licking and sucking on her lips. I kiss her the same way I perform, taking everything and giving my all. Each press of our mouths together burns my flesh. My hand lowers to her waist, clasping the naked flesh through her cutout. Her bare skin, warm against my own, spins my head. Her stomach wiggles under my palm, fluttering the longer I stroke her flesh. She moans against my mouth, sinking into my kiss. Precum oozes from my tip, and my dick jerks.

Her teeth snap, biting into my lower lip. A low, deep sound rumbles in my chest. The stool glides closer when I yank her toward me, shoving her knees between my legs. Her breasts crash into my chest. Plenty of fabric sits between us, but her body molds to mine, sending heat all over. Her fingers scale over my muscles, touching the solidness of my frame. My body flashes, some parts turning into stone while I try to hold on to my sanity. Even still, our lips don't break apart. Instead, I deepen the kiss. My thumb traces slow circles on Yue's hip, and the muscle under her onyx skin jumps. Her breath catches, releasing in quick, uneven bursts. Her pulse hammers under my fingertips. Her hand twirls my locs, spinning them round between her fingertips. My head tilts, and I slide my tongue deeper. Yue makes a sound, something small, a cross between a whine and a whimper. It's a noise I'll file away for later. I swallow it down, chasing after another from her well-used mouth. Pressure builds in my spine, rubbing the base and bringing me close, almost like I'm seconds away from finishing.

The grip on her waist tightens when she licks the inside of my mouth, pulling me further into oblivion. My fingers scrape her bare skin, leaving marks she'll find later. Marks that will remind her I was here. Marks that will say she let me touch her, and she fucking wanted it. A groan pours from her lips at the same time a grunt falls from mine. It's like our minds sync, moving together. Out of nowhere, her hands hit my chest, shoving me back with a burst of magic. My insides burn, set ablaze by her lips and power. My eyes open right away, and I scan her disheveled appearance. I step away, breathing heavily while my chest rises and falls. Yue isn't left unfractured. Her mouth trembles when her eyes snap open, and her hand quivers as she brings it near her lips. No one makes a sound in the bar. Not a fucking one. Her eyes meet mine when she runs her hand over her lips. The gargoyle within me gleams, glowing in my eyes and making them a lighter gray.

Her hands fall, settling back in her lap. I straighten my body, taking yet another step away from her. Each action cools my flesh even more. The shot of tequila in front of my seat is full, so I down it, ignoring the lime. The burn is nothing. It rids me of nothing. Air between us pulsates, charging with energy. It's heavy, and it's full of unsaid words, ones that bubble under the surface. Alcohol fades from my body, but the taste of her mouth stays on my lips. My body buzzes like I'm high.

Yue blows out a breath. "I need to go," she stutters, mouth working, "I have to work early tomorrow." She gets out of her seat, avoiding my gaze. She moves as far away from me as possible when she passes. "Goodnight," she calls to everyone, rushing her fine ass toward the door.

I blink, and she's fucking gone.

"What the hell was that?" Mac asks.

My eyes are still on the door. I open my wallet and throw a bunch of twenties down. "I have no clue, but I'm about to find out." I rush out of the door minutes after Yue leaves.

The door swings hard behind me, hinges rattling. Humid New Orleans air hits, warming my flesh. At damn near seven in the morning, Bourbon Street is a ghost town. Amber streetlights flicker, a cross between staying on and turning off as the sun rises. Jazz bleeds faintly from blocks away. I gaze in all directions, trying to find her. She's nowhere to be found. Fog rolls in, and pillow white blankets cover the area. Gritting my teeth, I let the change move through my body. My wings fall from the slits in my back, ripping my shirt as they spread wide. It falls off my body in ribbons, landing on the ground beside me. Jumping into the air, I rise, flapping them faster as I glide higher. I should be worried humans will see a creature, but I'm not. This is more important. Three blocks away from the bar, I see a figure walking. Narrowing my gaze, I spy red lace, cutouts of onyx skin, and fucking white hair. Found you. Wings flap like they're trying to rid the world of fire, and I haul ass, dropping to the ground inches before her. I crash into the sidewalk. She gasps, eyes widening as her jaw unlocks.

The sidewalk is uneven under my boots; old brick buildings and sidewalks rise on either side of the street like crooked letters. Before she can utter a word, I yank her toward me, pressing our lips together. My wings slide into my flesh, submerging themselves into my skin. Her arms scale my body, and I lift her into the air. Her legs wrap around me, and I walk with her toward an alleyway. We don't make it far. This blend of heat inside of us won't let Yue or me go any further until it's sated.

Her back crashes into the wall, creating an oomph that leaves her lips. She arches her back, pushing her breasts in my face. My mouth crashes into hers, and she opens for me immediately. No smart-ass remark comes out of her mouth, and no hesitation shows in her actions. Her tongue meets mine while her fingers rake under my shirt, nails dragging across my abs. Noises escape her mouth whenever I let her have a second away. Brick hits my forearms, rough against my flesh while I brace her on it. Yue's tiny, bite-sized even. Yet the fire blazing within her is far larger than her five-three. Caged against me and fitted so fucking perfectly, she mewls. Her body reacts, skin heating and winding on mine. We mold together as if we've always meant to be this way.

My hands find the cutouts in her dress. The fabric is thin, some stretchy shit designed to tease and tantalize. Gaps expose strips of her sides, her belly, the curve where her waist dips in. I slide my palms flat against her bare skin, and she's warm, so fucking warm against my cool hands. She gasps into my mouth, and I swallow it down, shoving my tongue down her throat. She angles herself away, but my free hand scales her belly, latching around her throat. That action keeps her from moving while I dominate her mouth. Her stomach contracts under my touch as my other hand continues its perusal. Her muscles jump, and I drag my fingers along the inside of the cutout, tracing the edge of the fabric where it barely covers her ribs.

"You been thinking about this," I murmur against her lips. Not a question.

"Shut the fuck up before you make me dry."

A chuckle rumbles inside my chest. No woman has ever talked to me like she does. Her hands grab my belt, yanking me forward so my hips pin her further to the wall. Heat flares through her thin-ass dress. She grinds against me in small, deliberate rolls of her hips. My dick pulses, straining against my jeans. Angling my neck, my lips find the curve of hers, and I bite down hard. She groans, rolling her body. Moving a little, I drag my teeth over her flesh, sucking and licking as I go. My teeth close on the muscle where her shoulder meets her throat, and Yue moans. The noise goes straight to my dick. Her hands fist into my locs, pulling hard. A burning sensation spreads over my scalp. Yue likes to play with fire. I groan against her skin, tongue dragging over the bite mark, tasting salt and sweat.

"Your place," she breathes. "Now."

Releasing her flesh from my mouth, I pull away to stare at her. Yue's hair is a fucking mess. Her pupils are wide, lips swelling while her chest heaves. The cutouts in her dress frame her body like windows. Her bare onyx skin glows under the faint streetlights. They'll cut off shortly. Something in my chest shifts, and the gray-eyed gargoyle in me stirs. For the most part, it’s quiet, but whenever I’m at work, it rouses. This is the first time out of it that it has awakened in ages.

My wings open after they slip from my back, and I jump into the sky, carrying her with me. We move without a word, and her eyes shut while I get us to my house. It takes less than three minutes to arrive by flight. I sit her down in my backyard and wait for her to speak. She doesn't move a muscle. Maybe too much time has passed, and this spell, because it has to be that shit, has worn off. My wings slide back into my body, locking in place on my shoulders.