A Midsummer Night's Demon(11)
Ky pulled a beer from the refrigerator and popped the top with a fang. He took a long pull from the bottle before heading down the hall to check on Daelyn. Ky pushed her door open, and looked on her sleeping form. The television played an old black and white movie, the screen sending gray shadows to dance over Lyn's body.
Daelyn lay on her side, her beautiful face turned his way as if she fell asleep waiting for him to come to her. Her dark hair fell delicately over her cheek, begging for his touch. He padded to her on silent feet and took the errant strand between his fingers. Tucking it behind her ear, his hand then slid down her side to grab the linen gathered at her hips. His eyes followed the sheet as it slid up her body, molding to the delicate curves. He slipped it over her shoulder, and bent to kiss her cheek. In a soft caress, his lips brushed her warm flesh, then he clicked off the TV using the remote by the bed.
He breathed her in. The now familiar combination of chamomile and jasmine sent a heated rush of desire to his belly. Her scent drove him wild. It called to his animalistic nature, demanding that he make her his. He battled constantly to keep his inner beast reined. He wanted her with a desperation he’d never before experienced, couldn’t wait to be at her throat, taking her essence into his mouth as he sank inside the warm heat of her body. He would be surrounded by her inside and out. His fangs lengthened as images of her in the throes of passion paraded through his mind.
He knew he cared about her. During the past week, they spent a lot of time talking. He found Lyn intelligent and kind, beautiful on the inside and out. Ky adored her, and he hoped she had developed feelings for him as well.
He knew he tempted her. It was evidenced by the way she looked at him, the way her eyes would darken with hunger. And he’d given her plenty of opportunities to notice. Coming out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his lean hips, convincing her to take a midnight swim with him in the river. All were bids to garner her attention. While he did not doubt her attraction to him, did she feel genuine affection for him?
Wanting to know the answer to his question, the warrior pushed into his mate’s mind, and sorted through the information until he found what he wanted. His answer—yes. Lyn found him charming and brave, had begun to care about him.
A smile of pure male satisfaction took his face. He’d like nothing better than to strip away his work clothes and slide into bed with her. She would welcome him, of that he had no doubt. He had seen it in her mind. The demure demon wanted him almost as desperately as he did her.
He would be an attentive lover, put her pleasure before his own, but not tonight. The first time they made love would be exactly that, making love not sex. He wanted her body and soul. He needed to know she had chosen him, to give him her commitment, her life, not just her body. They would have their time, but not tonight. Tonight he needed to cool off, step away from the decadent temptation that her body presented.
He forced his legs to take him outside, hoping nature might provide a distraction. Ky sat heavily in the Adirondack chair on his front porch, his finger hooked around the neck of his beer. He took another long swallow, and watched the white ibis peck at the ground. Their long burnt-orange beaks easily sliced through the sandy soil to find the bugs buried deep within. With his blue eyes tracking them, the birds’ spindly legs took them away from his home in one cohesive group.
Akin to stepping into a clothes dryer, the warm air settled over him. He closed his eyes, and listened to the world around him. He could hear the rustle of palm fronds swaying in the breeze, the gentle lap of the river cresting along the shore in a soft lullaby. The salty air carried a delicate, aromatic combination of fish, soil, and pine.
Ky opened his eyes, surveying his domain. Spanish moss hung from the pines and scrub oaks like ghostly tentacles reaching out to point at the ibis as they walked beneath the trees. A three-quarter moon hung heavy in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the land. He loved this place, this little patch of land. His oasis from the world. Here he could think, could breathe.
The vibration in his pocket drew his attention. He pulled his phone from his jeans and noted the ID. A punch of a finger connected the call.
“’Bout time you checked in,” he greeted.
His partner, Tarina, was currently off on assignment, some secretive thing that only the top brass knew anything about. As tough mentally as physically, Ky knew the female agent to be a real fem fatale. They’d worked together for decades and knew each other well. The two of them fought together with an ease that could only be gained by years together in the trenches. She would rush into any situation, take charge. Watch his back.