Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(30)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“Are you saying I’m too stupid to decide what I want?”

Okay, so his words hadn’t come out right. He was lucky he could still form a full sentence when his brain had relocated considerably lower in his body.

“I’m saying that you don’t have enough experience to know what you want. That’s not your fault.”

She looked spectacularly unimpressed with his logic. “So you’d make love to me if I wasn’t a virgin?”

“It’s not just that.”

“Then what?”

He struggled to express his fear that he was taking advantage of her naivete. It was easy for her to become convinced that he was some sort of Prince Charming when she didn’t have a comparison.

“How many men have you known in your life?”

“I told you, there were a few.”

He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his piercing gaze. “Briggs and the demon lord don’t count.”

“You weren’t Briggs’s only accomplice.”

He snorted. “I can just imagine the kind of scum who would work with the bastard.”

She poked her finger into the center of his chest, seemingly annoyed by his dismissal of her potential lovers. “Some were scum, but there were others who were like you.”

He frowned, offended by her comparison to Briggs’s nasty servants. “Me?”

“Yes.” She gave him another poke. “They were decent men who were simply desperate and willing to believe Briggs’s promise he could give them what they most desired.”

In a heartbeat, Caine catapulted from who-the-hell-cares about the males in her past to insane jealousy. “And you spent time with these men?”

“A few.” A reminiscent smile curved her lips, making his wolf snarl in possessive outrage. “There was a very handsome fairy who used to sneak me chocolate when he visited.” She sighed. “I adore chocolate.”

“A fairy,” he muttered. He hated fairies.

“And then there was a charming vampire.”

“Charming vampire is an oxymoron,” he snapped, deciding he hated leeches even more than he hated fairies.

She shrugged. “He swore he could release me from the demon lord.”

Lying bastard. The only way to release her from the demon lord was to cut off the creature’s connection to this world. And she still wasn’t completely free if the tattoo on her stomach was any indication. But she must have been tempted.

“Why didn’t you go with him?”

“Because I knew I had to wait.”

“For what?”

She planted her hand directly over his heart, her gaze holding his captive. “For you.”

“Oh, shit.” His eyes slid shut as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers. The warm scent of lavender filled his senses, his entire body trembling with the driving need to claim this female in the most basic way possible. “You’re killing me.”

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her lips brushing against his ear. “Take me to the bedroom, Caine.”

His nobility died a swift, unmourned death as he plucked her off the breakfast bar and headed out of the kitchen.

“Yes.”

Chapter 9

Caine registered Cassie’s soft chuckle as he charged with lightning speed through the living room and up the stairs to the loft. The soft sound brushed over his sensitized skin like a tangible caress, winding him impossibly tighter.

He was on fire. The desire he’d kept leashed for so long threatening to burn out of control.

Belatedly realizing the danger, Caine forced himself to slow his pace as he reached the loft. No matter what his instinct, he wasn’t going to take Cassie like an animal in heat.

If she was willing to offer him the gift of her innocence, then he would offer her the respect she deserved.

Crossing the polished wood floor, he gently laid her on the bed, which had been hand-carved by the finest craftsmen and matched the armoire tucked in a far corner. The ceiling was open-beamed with a skylight built into the sloping roof that allowed the early morning sunlight to pour over her nearly naked body.

His heart went crazy, skipping beats and then pounding at a frantic pace, as if trying to catch up for lost time. She was just so stunning. An exquisite work of art made of alabaster and gold and shimmering emerald.

He ripped off the ridiculous apron, his aching arousal twitching as he felt her gaze examining the hard length. He paused, searching her expression for any sign of hesitation. Then she smiled, holding out her arms in welcome, and he was lost.

With a leap he landed on top of her, pressing her slender body into the mattress covered by a hand-stitched quilt. “Last chance, pet,” he warned, his voice a low rumble.

She rubbed against him, her hands clutching at his shoulders. “Enough talking,” she protested, lifting her head to nip his bottom lip.

A growl rumbled in his throat. “You want action?”

Her tongue peeked out to soothe the tiny wound she’d made. “I want you.”

Caine didn’t need any further urging. Swooping down his head, he was kissing her, a forceful demand that hinted at the endless nights he’d spent tormented by his need for her.

Later there would be time for soft seduction and hours of foreplay. For now he allowed the delicious sensations to flood through him, drowning any lingering concern.

Gently parting her soft lips with the tip of his tongue, he plunged into the moist temptation of her mouth, groaning at her sweet taste. He heard Cassie give a small sound between a gasp and a moan, her nails biting into his skin.

The tiny pain made his back arch in response, his erection pressing against the soft skin of her stomach. On some level he was aware of the small tattoo that radiated a brutal chill just below her belly button, but that was a worry for another time.

In this moment he was far more interested in the exquisite heat blasting through him. He eased his kiss, moving to trace a soft trail down the line of her jaw. “I should have brought the wine with us,” he whispered.

She brushed her hands down his back. “Why?”

“It would be intoxicating to lick it off your beautiful body.”

“My body?”

He chuckled at her puzzled tone. “Here.” He nuzzled the hollow at the base of her throat. “And here.” He kissed down the line of her collarbone, his hands cupping her br**sts. Her skin quivered beneath his light touch, her breath coming out in a small explosion as his lips found the tip of her tight ni**les. “Yeah, especially here.”