Wicked Edge (Realm Enforcers, #2)(13)

Was she protesting his claim that she was a liar or a terrible liar? “Aye, you are.” He leaned in, not missing her quick intake of breath. “Admit it was real, or I’ll prove it.” Damn, he really wanted to prove her wrong.

Even bruised, her chin was stubborn. She leaned toward him, bringing the scent of female and hyacinth. “There’s nothing to prove. I worked you, Enforcer. Deal with it.”

He moved then, clamping his hands on her waist, and plunking her down, facing him. The handlebars bracketed her, as did his arms.

She sucked in air and tried to lean back and away. The move scooted her core closer to his, and he shoved against her, his dick jumping at the vee in her legs. Her eyes widened. Desire all but rolled off her. Both hands pressed against his chest with impressive strength.

“Admit it, Cee Cee.”

“No.” She didn’t hide her gaze, but her fingers curled into his chest. Anger and denial danced in her eyes, but beneath them, there was something more. Curiosity? She held her breath, not moving.

His gaze narrowed. She wanted to know as badly as he did if the other night had been about tequila and drugs or something else. Yet instead of saying so, she denied any feelings and waited for him to pounce. His biceps vibrated with the need to do exactly that and go deep. So he slid his hands down to her hips and tilted her, rubbing his shaft between her legs.

She gasped, and her lips half lowered. Desire competed with the storm now beating around them.

He leaned in so close his breath brushed her lips. “I don’t play games, sweetheart, and you’ve done nothing else since the first time I met you.”

Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips.

He fought a groan and pressed harder against her core. Even through his snow pants and hers, he could swear he felt her heat. The woman called to him on a level he couldn’t explain, but he’d give anything to feel her wrapped around him, crying out his name.

“I’m not playing games,” she ground out, her voice so sexily hoarse he almost came in his pants right there.

“You are.” He closed the inch between them and settled his lips a breath away from hers. There was an innocence to her game playing, a real curiosity, that gave him pause. She was a demon, no doubt closely protected by family her entire life, considering female demons were incredibly rare. Had she been with a man? The other night, the woman had known how to kiss. Really known how to kiss. Was the curiosity real? “Enough game playing.”

Her eyelids fluttered shut. “Fine.” Quick as any witch, she shot her hands into his hair and yanked his mouth against hers. Soft as petals, she kissed him, flicking her tongue along his lower lip.

Desire, hot and desperate, roared through his blood. Flexing his hands, he tipped her back, taking her lips and stealing the kiss. His tongue swept inside her mouth, tasting woman and fine wine. The combination lit him on fire, and he had to force flames away from his skin. Something he hadn’t had to do since he’d been a randy teenager centuries ago.

He pressed against her, allowing the beast inside him off the leash. Then she groaned. The sound reverberated up her throat, eased into his mouth, and set his nerve endings alive. Kissing her harder, he pressed his chest against hers, allowing the handlebars to carry their weight. With only his mouth working hers, he tilted her head to the side so he could go deeper. His hands went to her jacket, just as her cold nose brushed against his cheek.

Freezing nose.

He broke the kiss and leaned back, his entire body throbbing with the fierce need to strip her bare and bury himself inside her tight body. “You’re cold,” he rumbled, his voice rougher than any demon’s would ever be.

Her eyelids fluttered open, and her pupils widened. Surprise and need glittered in the depths of her eyes. “Not cold. Very hot.”

He grinned. Even now, his body on fire, her likability soothed him. Oh, he didn’t trust her and had no doubt they were on opposite sides of whatever was going on. Yet she had a sweetness to her he wanted to explore, consequences be damned. “Shelter, baby. We need shelter.”

The atmosphere ticked. A change around them, a tension in the storm, had his shoulders stiffening. He leaned back, taking Cee Cee with him, and surveyed the area.

She stilled, her head turning toward the orange building. “Something is there.”

Aye. The storm had strengthened, swirling snow around, making visibility nil. But he could feel something. Or someone. Darkness through the white. Eyes. Animal eyes.

Slowly, on the prowl, a series of polar bears stalked around both sides of the orange building. The beasts were well known in Norway, their kills a normal occurrence when anybody was stupid enough to set foot on Norwegian islands.

Cee Cee swallowed. “Shifter or animal?”

He ducked his head. Many shifters lived on the island, and most of his employees in the coal mine were actual bear shifters. But these? All animal, which was unfortunate. He moved his hands incredibly slowly around the woman’s stiff body. The switch inside him flipped, turning him from lover to killer in an instant. Protecting the woman in front of him became his entire focus. “I’m going to ignite the engine, and I need you to flip around me and hold on at the same second.”

“Okay,” she whispered, her thighs tightening around his waist.

“Now,” he muttered, twisting the key. The engine roared to life, and Cee Cee moved, gracefully swirling around him and planting her butt in place.