Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(13)

Was she completely mental?

With a shove that sent Salvatore flying onto his back, she scrambled to her feet and glared down at his smug smile.

“Do you always grope unconscious women?”

He folded his hands over his stomach and crossed his legs at the ankle. He should have looked ridiculous lying on the cement floor, with his raven hair tousled and his expensive suit wrinkled. But he didn’t.

He looked…edible.

The bronzed, stunningly beautiful features. The full, sensual lips. The whiskey-gold eyes.

A delectable male, from the top of his raven hair to the tips of his Italian leather shoes.

“Only those who crawl all over me in their sleep,” he said. “If anyone was violated, it was me.”

The worst part was that Harley couldn’t be certain she hadn’t been violating him. Her body seemed to have lost its connection to her brain.

“God,” she muttered, as annoyed with herself as with Salvatore. “Get over yourself.”

In one fluid movement, he was on his feet and standing directly in front of her.

“I’d rather be over you.”

“Enough.” She abruptly turned from the smoldering invitation in his eyes, her palms sweating. “I have more important things to worry about than a dog in heat.”

She felt him step back, although it didn’t help much. His power swirled through the small space with crushing force.

“Do you know where we are?” he demanded.

She turned and glanced around the six-by-six cage made of silver bars that was set in the middle of a barren cellar. There was nothing to identify the cramped prison beyond a narrow door and bare lightbulb in the center of the ceiling. There were no windows, no furniture, not even a blanket, but the muted scent of wooden logs gave away their location.

“In Caine’s cabin near St. Louis.”

Salvatore closed his eyes, testing the air. “It’s dusk.”

“Do you have a point?”

“Levet becomes a statue during the day.” His eyes opened, a hint of frustration shimmering in the golden depths. “He should be waking any moment to follow our trail.”

Harley shook her head, Salvatore’s frustration echoing deep inside her. She might be furious with Caine, but she wasn’t stupid enough to underestimate him.

“There won’t be a trail to follow.”

“What do you mean?”

“One of Caine’s lovers is a witch. He never moves from one lair to another without her casting a spell to cover his scent, as well as anyone with him.” She grimaced. “No one’s going to be able to find us.”

“One of his lovers?” Salvatore arched a brow, ignoring the most pertinent point of her explanation. “How many does he have?”

She made a sound of impatience. “I’ve never bothered to keep count. Why? Are you interested in joining the bimbo brigade?”

“My only interest is in knowing whether or not you share his bed.”

“It’s none of your damned business.”

His lips twisted, an odd yearning flaring through his eyes. “Ah, if only that were true.”

A melting heat threatened to weaken her knees and Harley gave a sharp shake of her head.

She wasn’t going to be distracted.

“I don’t know what your damage is, but in case you’ve failed to notice, we’re in a little bit of trouble here. Can you focus on something other than trying to get into my pants?”

His lips curled. “I can multitask.”

No crap.

“Fan-frigging-tastic,” she groused. “Then get us out of here.”

Chapter Four

Salvatore glanced toward the locked door of the cell, folding his arms across his chest.

“And just how do you expect me to perform that particular miracle?”

“I thought you were some sort of uberking,” she taunted. “Don’t you have any special powers?”

Salvatore smiled, unruffled by her sharp tone. She could snap and snarl all she wanted, but she couldn’t conceal the scent of her arousal.

And when he’d awakened to discover her snuggled in his arms…

Dio, it had almost made this whole kidnapping thing worthwhile.

Almost.

“None that involve B and E,” he admitted.

Her gaze narrowed. “B and E implies entering. We want to exit.”

He folded his arms over his chest. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“You obviously know Caine…” His jaw tightened as a flare of savage possession speared through him. “Intimately. You better than anyone should be familiar with the weaknesses in his security.”

“I know nothing about Caine.” Her lips curled in a sneer, but Salvatore didn’t miss the bitterness that edged her voice. “He’s done nothing but lie to me since I was a baby.”

He was petty enough to be pleased at the thought of poisoning any relationship between Harley and the damnable cur, but within that perfectly logical reaction was an unexpected stab of regret. The woman was clearly distressed by the realization that her life had been a lie.

Risking life and limb, Salvatore grasped her hand, half-expecting to be tossed across the cell. She stiffened, but she surprisingly didn’t go homicidal on him. A step in the right direction, he told himself, savoring the feel of her warm skin that eased the sense of weakness that plagued him.