Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(26)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Momentarily disoriented, Ariyal flowed to his feet, instinctively reaching for the dagger he kept at his lower back. Why the hell would he be in the room with a leech … ?

Memories crashed through him with the force of a sledgehammer as he glanced toward the narrow bed to discover a female so beautiful she made his heart hurt.

Jaelyn.

They had been together at the mage’s townhouse along with Tearloch and his spooky spook. And then Sergei had lobbed a spell at the portal, causing a massive explosion of magic. Dumb-ass.

That’s all he remembered until waking in this nasty hellhole.

So the question was, had Jaelyn carried him away from the townhouse to protect him? Or was this just a brief layover before she handed him to the Oracles?

He forgot to care as she stirred on the narrow mattress, her hoarse cry of pain echoing through the room.

“Jaelyn,” he called softly. “Jaelyn, can you hear me?”

She continued to thrash about and he moved to perch on the edge of the bed. He wasn’t stupid enough to reach out and shake her awake. Poking a sleeping vampire was about as smart as pointing a loaded gun to his head. Instead he sucked in a deep breath; then with one smooth motion he stretched on top of her, grasping her wrists in his hands to tug her arms above her head. Then, using his superior weight, he pinned her lower body to the bed.

He told himself it was the only way to wake her before she attracted unwanted attention, but as he settled against the firm curves he couldn’t deny a low groan of approval from rumbling in his chest.

Oh … hell. She felt so good pressed against him, her dangerous scent stirring his senses and the cool brush of her power teasing his overheated skin.

He could spend the next several years in this precise position.

Almost as if sensing his treacherous thought, Jaelyn’s blue eyes snapped open, dark with a bleak agony that stole the breath from Ariyal’s lungs. Seconds later she realized where she was and who was perched on top of her and those magnificent eyes narrowed with a sudden fury.

“Get off me,” she hissed, her knee jerking upward with the intention of making him a eunuch.

Blocking the blow with his leg, he smiled down at her frustrated expression.

He far preferred Jaelyn hissing and spitting. The wounded creature he’d briefly glimpsed when she first woke reminded him far too much of himself.

“Careful, poppet,” he teased. “I have high hopes of needing that later.”

Her lips thinned, but he didn’t miss the tiny shiver that raced through her body.

Yeah, she wanted him.

She didn’t want to want him. But she wanted him. “What the hell are you doing?” she muttered.

“You were having a nightmare.”

She abruptly averted her gaze, perhaps realizing she’d revealed far more than she desired.

“So you thought you would crawl in bed with me?”

“I was trying to keep you from waking the entire building.” His gaze slid over her profile, a moan escaping him at the sharp urge to nuzzle along the vulnerable line of her throat. “I assume you didn’t want someone coming to see if you needed help.”

“Fine,” she snapped. “I’m awake now.”

“What were you dreaming about?”

“A damned Sylvermyst who wouldn’t get his ass off me,” she snarled, turning back to stab him with a fierce glare. “It would make any woman howl in fear.”

With a low chuckle he gave into temptation.

“Oh, I could make you howl,” he breathed, leaning down to nibble along her lower lip.

“Like I haven’t heard that before,” she growled even as she arched against him in blatant invitation.

His body reacted with a savage speed, his c**k hard and aching to be of service.

“Are you challenging me, poppet?” he murmured, giving her lip a sharp nip before exploring the sensitive curve of her neck.

“Ariyal.”

“Mmmm?”

“I told you to get off me.”

“Yes, I heard you the first time.”

“Then why …” She gave a small shriek as he gently bit the flesh at the base of her neck. “Shit.”

“More?” he demanded, running his tongue along the line of her tender vein. “How about here?” He gave her another bite just below her jaw.

She squirmed in obvious pleasure. “You did that on purpose,” she breathed.

He laughed at her accusing tone. “I wouldn’t be much of a lover if I did it by accident.”

“You’re not my lover.”

He pulled back to meet her guarded gaze. “Do you object to the concept or the term?”

“Both.”

His gaze dipped down to where her tightly budded ni**les pressed against the spandex material of her top.

“Liar.”

Her eyes flashed indigo fire. “You’re so damned arrogant.”

“Confident,” he corrected, lowering his head. “If you don’t want this then tell me no.”

He moved slowly. Slowly enough that she would have ample opportunity to refuse him, despite the fact she could have knocked him across the cramped room from the moment she woke.

He didn’t want her later claiming he’d forced her into anything.

Feeling her tense he paused just over her lips, waiting for her to push him away.

Deep inside, a cowardly part of him almost hoped she would call an end to the madness. This addictive craving for a female who might very well prove to be his enemy was a weakness he couldn’t afford. Not if he was to bring an end to the threat of the Dark Lord.

That part, thankfully, was buried beneath a jolt of white-hot pleasure when she lifted her head off the pillow to close the shallow space between their lips.

The taste of her was like the finest brandy. Smooth, silky, with a burn he could feel to the tips of his toes. Oh … bloody hell. Over the past centuries he’d forgotten the explosive excitement of mutual passion. He’d trained himself to use sex as a weapon for the survival of his people. It had become an unfortunate necessity.

And then Jaelyn had crashed into his life.

A beautiful, lethal predator in spandex who had managed to kick-start his lust into hyperdrive and reminded him in vivid detail the pleasure of being a fully functioning male.

The wonder of touching and being touched. Of feeling her tempting body soften in welcome. Of being consumed by the tidal wave of desire.

“Tell me that you want me, poppet,” he murmured against her lips. “I need to hear the words.”

“You talk too much,” she growled, allowing her fangs to press against his lower lip.