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“You are light where I am darkness.” His hooded gaze flicks over my flushed face. His lips find mine and I savor the taste of his tongue brushing over mine.
He breaks the kiss and takes in all of me with a sweeping gaze. My nipples stand stiff against the fabric of his shirt contrary to my will. It’s his rumbling voice and the heat of his body as he closes the little space we have between us.
“I am an unholy bastard. Remember that.”
“True. But that doesn’t change my mind.”
I don’t know where these words are coming from. But I keep vomiting things I shouldn’t be saying. “Ares, you need to remember something too. Given a chance, I’ll do it again. No one controls me. No one.” I hear the lies spilling from my lips. I mean, come on. What happened by the lake can’t exactly be forgotten. He took control over me and I handed it to him with no questions asked. And it felt good.
He jerks his head in a nod. “Noted.”
Unforgiving fingers lock around my wrist and I’m dragged back into my prison with my captor leading the way.
And this time he’s leading me to the basement instead of the stairs that lead to his bedroom. There’s no music, groupie sex, or smell of liquor when he pulls me past the foyer, living room, and down the hallway in the direction I’ve seen him use that lead to lower levels and God knows what is down there.
“What are you doing? Where are you taking me?”
“Seems actions are all you hear so I’m going to show you my way is the only way.”
Damn it.
“But first, you need to eat something.”
We pass the basement door I’ve seen him go through a few times now and head straight for the kitchen.
The hallway dead ends where the kitchen begins. There’s a large center island with several stools pulled up under the white marble ledge. Gold glints in the morning sunlight throughout the entire thing big enough to fit a feast. Behind it is a large window, its panes fogged over from the morning chill. Beyond are rolling hills of trees covered in a layer of cottony fog.
Avery is there and the way the morning rays of early light catch in her soft eyes makes her appear every bit the morning person I can only dream of being. There’s a reason I went into hacking and a lot of it had to do with never wanting a boss lording over me. And the other reason is I got to pick my own hours which mimic that of vampires. Plus I can type code blind on three cups of coffee and two hours of sleep.
She sets her phone on the counter when she sees us enter.
“The crew get back yet, Avery?” Ares’ voice is gruffer than the hours-old stubble along his jaw. As if I need a reminder, my body jumps in at that moment and sends me memos of what the burn from that beard feels like against the tender flesh of my thighs.
That’s right. Everyone is out cleaning up my mess. But was it really mine? Or did I push Ares to act? I don’t really know. But I wonder what the hell has him stalling. I mull over these questions one at a time, their taste leaving a bitter aftertaste.
His hands are still on me. But instead of gripping my wrist, he’s drawn his touch around my middle. The heat of his palm against my abdomen feels possessive. And I won’t lie, the way his thumb tucks inside the band of my jeans feels nice. A less jaded version of myself would think he’s trying to tell me I belong to him. But I’m more of a realist. He’s happy with the way my body makes his feel. Nothing deeper than that. The heart will get on board with that idea as soon as it stops trying to beat a hole through my chest.
I pull a barstool out and he comes to stand behind me, my ever-present protector or prison guard I haven’t decided on yet.
Cautiously I ask, “Do you know if anyone got hurt? Devil took a nasty blade to the shoulder. He looked okay, but…” Because of me, I want to say but I leave that out.
“Devil will be fine.” Cut and dry. I purse my lips debating whether or not I should push the topic. Not like Devil is my responsibility but the man was there because of me and protecting me.
“If you say so. Maybe we should check on him.”
“He’ll report in when he’s ready.”
Case closed?
Yeah. Not for me.
“He took that blade for me.”
The only sign Ares is even the tiniest bit worried about his friend is the slight tensing of his jaw and his chest rising with a deeper breath than normal. Or he could just be irritated with me.
“Da.”
That one-syllable word cuts. But it seals my lips.
