Where Darkness Lives (Guardians of Eternity #7.75)(16)
Author: Alexandra Ivy

“You’re sure?”

“She’s not the brightest bulb,” she said dryly. “With a little prompting she confessed to writing the notes and leaving dead animals and slashing my tires. Oh, and throwing the brick through my window.” She made a sound of disgust. “Bitch.”

He nodded. He’d pegged the nymph for the childish pranks, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

“And the attempts on your life?”

“She was clueless.”

“You believe her?”

“Yes.” She nodded without hesitation. “She might be a flake, but she’s not bloodthirsty enough to try to kill me.”

“So there are two separate enemies.” Luc felt a piece of the aggravating puzzle slide into place. It wasn’t that the harassment was escalating. It was that they were traveling separate paths. “One mystery solved.”

She tilted back her head to regard him with a lift of her brows.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“You were the one who insisted that I host this ridiculous shindig,” she tartly reminded him. “Did you learn anything besides Cindy’s bust size?”

“Cindy?”

“The mortal who was worshipping at your feet.”

“Ah.” He allowed his fingers to trail over her lower back, male enough to enjoy her pique. “Was she the brunette or the redhead? They all start to look alike.”

“You …”

He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her furious words. “I’ve started the process.”

She shook off his hand, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell does that mean?”

He reached into the side of his Speedo to pull out a small key.

“This.”

She snorted, unimpressed. “A key?”

“I lifted it from Kirsten when she was trying to stick her tongue down my throat,” he explained.

If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot.

“And why would you need her key?” she managed to ask between gritted teeth.

She was beautiful when she was jealous, he decided.

Eyes glowing with emerald fire. Her hands clenched. Her br**sts heaving as she struggled against her wolf.

Of course, she would be even more beautiful stretched across the nearby bed, her body softened with pleasure and her legs spread in invitation, he acknowledged.

His hands brushed up and over her bare shoulders. “Once it’s daylight I intend to search her lair.”

“She couldn’t have shot at me.” Her voice became husky as his fingers followed the plunging neckline of her bikini top. “The sun was out.”

“She could have an accomplice,” he said, already having considered the fact that the vampire could be using a less-flammable partner to throw them off track.

“Hmmm.”

She tried to sound skeptical, but he didn’t miss her tiny gasp of pleasure as his fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her swimsuit to find her ni**les already beaded in anticipation.

Subtly he nudged her backward, herding her toward the bed that had featured in a hundred fantasies over the past four nights.

“After that I have a date with Morton.”

Her lips curled into a mocking smile. “Is there something you want to share with me?”

With an impatient motion, he yanked off the tiny top, cupping her swollen br**sts with a gentle reverence.

“A golf date.”

She groaned, her hands reaching to grasp his shoulders. As if she was having difficulty standing.

He knew the feeling.

“You play golf?”

“How hard can it be?” he muttered, distracted by the spectacular sight of her rosy ni**les that quite literally begged for his kiss.

“Fine.” She cleared her throat. “If that’s all.”

Grasping her by the waist, he lifted her just high enough to toss her into the middle of the vast bed.

“Not nearly.”

CHAPTER 6

Sophia shuddered, lifting herself on her elbows to regard the man standing over her like an ancient conqueror.

She should be pissed.

How many times had she warned him not to act like a caveman?

And yet, she’d not only allowed him to drag her to her bedroom, but she hadn’t made so much as a peep when he’d ripped off her top and tossed her onto the bed like she was some sort of spoils of war.

Perhaps it was because she was so damned consumed by her cravings she couldn’t think of anything but getting that hard, bronzed body on top of her.

Sucking in a deep breath, she struggled to regain command of the encounter that was swiftly escalating out of control.

“Have you been sneaking into the nectar?” she husked.

The dark eyes shimmered like polished ebony in the moonlight, his hands not quite steady as they tugged off his tiny Speedos.

“I don’t need nectar to be on fire for you,” he growled, his massive erection growing even larger as she studied it with an avid gaze. “These past nights have been unbearable.”

Her heart stopped beating as he sprawled on the bed next to her, the heat of his naked body like a furnace.

“This is a very bad idea.”

“Not as bad as denying what we both want.” His wolf glowed in his eyes as he reached for her hand, pressing it against his arousal. “Feel what you do to me.”

“Luc.”

Unable to deny temptation, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, exploring down to the heavy testicles before slowly skimming back up to find the broad tip that was already damp with his seed.

“Dios.” He shuddered, exposing a claw to slice through the string holding her swimsuit bottom together. She parted her lips to protest the destruction of her expensive clothing, only to have a groan escape as he spread his palm over her bare ass, his fingers squeezing her flesh in promise of pleasure to come. “Hour after hour I lay in my bed, hearing you pace the floor while the scent of your desire filled the air.” He peered deep into her eyes. “Do you know what it cost me not to come to you? Not to ease your need?”

She knew the torment of having him so near and yet too frightened to admit her growing desperation for him.

“Then why didn’t you?”

His hand stroked up her back, cupping the nape in a gesture of comfort.

“My first priority is keeping you safe,” he reminded her, a thin layer of sweat forming on his brow as she gave his c**k a slow pump. “I can’t do that if you don’t trust me.”

“And that’s why you haven’t tried to seduce me?”