Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity #5)(66)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

Now she discovered that the thought made it difficult to breathe. As if she was being smothered.

“You’re assuming I’ll visit your lair?” she tried to tease, not entirely surprised when his eyes narrowed. He was far too capable of sensing her emotions not to catch whiff of her unease.

“I’m holding you naked in my arms after enjoying the most intense orgasm either of us has ever experienced.” He caught and held her wary gaze. “What else would I assume?”

She smiled, weakly. “Who knows what the future might hold?”

There was no return smile. In fact, his expression was downright grim.

“Who, indeed.”

“We should get dressed. I promised Styx that I would…” Pressing her hands against his chest, she struggled to push away from his hard body, only to have the massive vampire abruptly roll on top of her. “Jagr.”

His eyes shimmered with suppressed irritation in the thick shadows. “Why?”

His body pressing her intimately into the mattress did nothing to help her breathing troubles.

She didn’t want to think about mates or emotional entanglements or the fear of being expected to offer something she didn’t even know if she possessed.

She just wanted to spread her legs and allow pure, uncomplicated sensation to sweep her away.

So much easier.

Unfortunately, Jagr seemed more intent of forcing an unwelcome discussion rather than enjoying their brief time together.

“What?” she at last forced herself to demand.

“Why did you come down here tonight determined to seduce me?”

“I would think that was obvious.”

“Indulge me.”

She swallowed a resigned sigh. “I wanted you. You said you wanted me. Granted, I’ve been caged most of my life, but I was under the assumption that was an adequate reason for two people to have sex. Am I wrong?”

“Yes, I wanted you, I still want you, but not out of some twisted sense of sympathy.”

Sympathy? Her brows snapped together. “What the hell are you talking about?”

His jaw was tight as he glared down at her. “You didn’t want me to punish myself for hurting you, so you came down here determined to do whatever necessary to distract me.”

It took a second for his words to sink in, but when they did, her temper instantly flared.

“You think this was a pity f**k?” she gritted.

He flinched at her blunt words. “Don’t.”

“What? You’re the one who’s implying I’m willing to barter my body for a bit of comfort. Real nice.”

“Then why?”

“Does there have to be a reason?”

“No, it could be exactly as you said…” He deliberately paused, then with an exaggerated motion he rolled off her and stood beside the bed. “A mindless coupling to relieve a physical urge. Maybe I should be grateful you didn’t decide Tane would do.”

Scrambling off the mattress, Regan jerkily pulled on her clothes, covertly watching as Jagr did the same. Her stomach did a funny flop as he slid the stone-washed jeans up the powerful muscles of thighs and over his butt. Holy crap. She wanted to spend hours exploring those hard angles and planes.

No, stop that, Regan.

Jagr might be all that was yummy, but he was going to drive her to a loony bin.

Frowning, she watched as Jagr pulled on a black T-shirt that molded to his perfect chest, and bent down to tug on a pair of heavy black boots. Still ignoring her, he collected his daggers and efficiently strapped them to various parts of his body.

“Dammit, Jagr,” she growled.

He tucked a handgun in the waistband of his jeans. “I think we’ve said all that needs to be said.”

“God, you’re a pain in the ass.” Throwing her hands in the air, she stormed to stand directly before him. “Fine. I came down here because I was worried about you.”

“So it was a pity…”

She’d slammed her hand across his mouth before he could throw her words back into her face.

“I came down here because I was worried, but that’s not the reason I seduced you.”

Reaching up, he tugged her hand from his lips, his thumb absently rubbing a tender circle on her inner wrist.

“Are you going to tell me why?”

“Because I needed to be with you,” she muttered awkwardly. Christ. She didn’t do confessionals. They made her feel like a cheap extra on As the World Turns. “And it had to be you. Just you. Nobody else.” She shook her head as his lips parted. “Don’t freaking ask me why, because I don’t know.”

Bending his head, he stroked his lips over the pulse hammering in her inner wrist.

“If you need me, then the thought of visiting my lair shouldn’t send you into a panic.”

A renewed sense of alarm had her tugging her hand free so she could step back.

“It wouldn’t have if you hadn’t mentioned that whole mate thing.”

He searched her tight expression. “Are you afraid I intend to trap you?”

“I just…” She wrapped her arms around her waist, unable to find the words for her unease. “Are you certain?”

“Certain?”

“About me being your mate?”

“You don’t carry my mark yet, but yes, I’m certain.”

She shook her head, telling herself it was all some cosmic mistake. This large, beautiful, incredibly sexy predator deserved a mate who could offer untarnished, unconditional devotion. Not a screwed-up Were who was torn between fleeing in utter terror, and a breathless dread of never seeing him again.

“How can it even be possible? I mean, we’ve done nothing but argue since we met.”

“One of fate’s little jokes, no doubt.”

Ridiculously, she felt a prick of disappointment at his mocking tone.

“You don’t sound particularly happy.”

“Should I be?” He planted his fists on his hips, the movement stretching the shirt over his massive chest. “After centuries of being alone, I at last find the female destined to be my mate, and she has commitment issues. Forgive me for not jumping for joy.”

She tilted her chin, although her gaze kept straying down to the enticing ripple of muscle beneath that damned shirt.

Hey, she might be a demon, but she was all female.

Who wouldn’t be distracted?

“I don’t have issues, I just…”

Golden brows arched as she struggled to find the words. “Yes?”

“I’m just not ready to think about the future.”