Caged in Darkness (Caged #1)(43)

I meant to restrain myself from anything other than friendliness, until I knew for sure that she wasn’t still hurting over Izzy’s mother’s death. However, having gone an entire week without her, I couldn’t help myself. I pulled her into my arms and ravaged her mouth. I rained kisses along her neck and back to her lips, but when I moved my hand to caress her breast, she stiffened.

“I’m sorry. I should have asked.” I wasn’t in the habit of asking, but Savannah wasn’t a promiscuous woman. Kali was right, when she said that Savannah was not the type of woman I was used to.

“It’s not that. It’s…” She paused. “I’ve never done anything more than kiss a guy. I don’t know what I am supposed to do.” Her brows furrowed and she looked embarrassed. “I want to, but I just don’t know how.”

Grabbing her face, I looked her directly in the eyes. “You don’t have to learn how right now. We can take it slow. I don’t want us to do anything you aren’t ready for.” I kissed her forehead and smoothed back her hair. “I’ll be right back.” I walked into my bedroom, closed the door, and attempted to pull myself together. I wasn’t used to reining myself in, but until I gained my composure I needed to take a breather.





SAVANNAH





I watched Liam retreat into his room. I couldn’t believe how understanding he was being. It was a relief, because as much as I wanted him, I wanted to figure a few things out before our relationship progressed.

I walked over to the coffee table and picked up the soda, Liam had left there. As I took a sip, his phone beeped, and his mothers’ name lit the screen. Worried that it might be important, I lifted the cell phone from the table to see what the text said. My soda dropped from my hands, while I reeled from the content of the extremely detailed text.

I hope you plan to take my advice from earlier. She has already gone through her ascension. It won’t be long before the coven will want her to take her initiation vows. If we have any hope of luring her into our coven, you need to seduce her now. You can’t keep putting it off. I know that you didn’t want this assignment, but the Cross girl is powerful and an alliance with her will be mutually beneficial. Seduce her and give her the ultimatum. Once she has joined our coven, you can go back to sleeping with as many humans as you would like.

I was shocked. Liam had been pretending this entire time? I was an assignment? I tossed his cell phone on the table and looked back at the door to his bedroom. I felt torn. One piece of my soul insisted on confronting him, while the other desperately wished to flee. I felt raw and betrayed. How could I have thought I meant something to him? Why had I been so stupid? I left the apartment and ran down the street before opening my cell to text Izzy.

Izzy picked me up a short while later to take me home. I knew she could see how upset I was, but for once she didn’t push me to talk. She let the silence soothe me and I was grateful for it.

Izzy stopped in front of my house, and said, "Savannah, if you need anything or just want to talk… call me, okay?” I nodded and bolted from the car. My feet couldn't move fast enough to propel me towards the house. I was fleeing a tsunami that threatened to wash away the safety net I built around my core.

I ran into the house with tears streaming down my face. I came to a quick stop in the hall, when Ash bared my path. Backing up, I tried to avoid him, but he wouldn’t allow it. His arm snatched out to grab me around my waist and lifted me into his arms, to cradle me.

“What’s wrong?”

I struggled in his arms, kicking my legs and wiggling to get free. When that failed, I started pounding on his chest with my fists. “Let me down!”

Ash laughed. “Well, this seems familiar!”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I crossed my arms and pouted, while giving him a cold stare.

“The first day we met I carried you into the house and you struggled just like this. Remember?”

I became more pliant and my tears stopped. “Put me down, Ash.”

His face became serious as he lowered me gently to the ground. He kept his arm wrapped around my waist and my body pressed to his. His body protected me from the rogue wave that massaged my emotions in a turmoil. The safety net Liam endangered was now more solid than ever before. Ash held it together, he pressed the rope, and maneuvered it to a placement that allowed me to breathe once more.

“I’m not letting you go until I know what’s wrong. Did Liam do something to you?” My face froze. Ash’s arm dropped and he growled. The house shuddered as the noise echoed against the walls. “I’m going to kill him!”

Ash pushed past me. I rushed to stop him, but he spun around to push me away. Throwing my arms around his neck, I massaged his lips with mine. At first his body was still, but then he relaxed and pulled me closer. He was like a starved man, using my mouth to sate his hunger. It was an passionate kiss fueled by his anger. My blood simmered at the contact, forcing my body to be instinctively wanton. Ash tried to slow the kissing, but I pressed harder and gyrated against his hips in a sensual dance. He groaned and backed me up until my heels hit the staircase.

Ash didn't falter at the inconvenience the stars proposed. He lifted my legs to straddle his waist, climbed the stairs, while kissing me with renewed passion. I couldn’t think, breath or deny the electric charge between us. Suddenly, every aspect of myself was desperate to have him; all of him.