Beyond the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #6)(49)

“Frigging hell.” Harley drained her Bloody Mary as one of the demons halted in front of their table, performing an erotic dance that had to be illegal in some states. Unable to tear her gaze from the alien beauty of the aquiline features and black, slanted eyes, she struggled to breathe. “What are they?”

“Nozama demons,” Salvatore said. “In their culture, the women are the warriors while the males are judged on their sexual prowess.”

“Now that is a fine culture,” she approved in husky tones, clutching the edge of the table to keep her hands from straying where they didn’t belong.

Salvatore growled low in his throat, sending the demon scurrying to the next table.

“Female warriors are respected in Were society, and our sexual prowess is renown throughout the demon world,” he informed her, reaching to take her hand in a possessive grip.

“Almost as renowned as your arrogance.”

“Our arrogance,” he corrected, leaning far enough across the table that his warm breath brushed her cheek. “You’re a pureblood, Harley. It is past time you returned to your pack.”

A sharp ache tugged at her heart. An unpleasant reminder of the loneliness that had plagued her all her life.

As a Were, she instinctively craved the connection to a pack. Not only for protection, but for the companionship that was as important to purebloods as food and sex.

There had always been a very large part of herself missing.

Still, she wasn’t prepared to make commitments to anyone. Not Salvatore. Not her sisters.

“I’ll decide if or when I return to a pack,” she warned.

Lifting her arm, Salvatore nuzzled the pulse hammering in her inner wrist.

“I could make the decision an easy one if you would let me.”

“Not everyone is ruled by their hormones.”

The golden eyes flashed with heat. “Ah, if only that were true.”

Harley’s lips parted as a blast of lust slammed into her.

It wasn’t the persistent tug that was always present when Salvatore was near. Or the intense hunger that his kisses so easily roused.

This was a jarring, overwhelming need that felt unpleasantly like drowning.

“Giuliani?” she rasped.

“Relax, cara.” He gently massaged her hand.

“What is it?”

“The dancers release a pheromone. It helps encourage more participants to ante up for a turn in the pit.”

“Crap.” She shifted on the hard bench, her skin coated in perspiration. “I’m about ready to ante up myself.”

Without warning, Salvatore surged to his feet, pulling her off the bench and against his hard body.

“No need to fight, cara,” he husked. “Unless that turns you on.”

In this moment, everything was turning Harley on.

The feel of Salvatore’s hard body, his frigging delicious musky scent, the pulse of his outrageous power…

Without warning, a hand descended on her shoulder, yanking her around to discover a large Pecoste demon leering at her with yellow eyes, his tusks dripping with venom.

Salvatore instantly bared his teeth, his eyes blazing with the eerie glow of a werewolf a breath away from shifting.

“Remove your hand before I…”

Harley didn’t wait for the two males to enjoy banging on their chests and blowing a lot of hot air.

With one smooth motion, she kicked the Pecoste demon in the knee, waiting for him to instinctively bend over before she connected her fist with his chin. The demon flew backwards, landing on a table two tiers down. There was a snarl of anger from the demons below and a savage brawl broke out, but Harley didn’t wait to appreciate her handiwork.

Instead she wiped her hands on her jeans and met Salvatore’s amused gaze.

“When I need rescuing, I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The scuffle had been fun, but the aching lust was still curling through her body. God Almighty. If she didn’t have relief soon, she might just explode.

“I’ve seen enough,” she muttered, heading for the exit as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

Not surprisingly Salvatore was swiftly at her side. “Where are you going?”

“My room.”

They waded through the crowd in silence, at last reaching the door and climbing the stairs. With every step, the clinging pheromones lessened, easing the choking desire, but Harley’s pace never slowed. The artificial lust might be dismissed by a change of location, but the restless hunger that continued to plague her would not be so easily banished.

She didn’t know what the future held, but she knew that Salvatore wouldn’t wait much longer to go after Briggs. The next few hours might be their last together.

Bypassing the lobby, Harley headed straight for her room on the upper floor, pulling her key card from her pocket and throwing open the door. Then, before she could remind herself of all the reasons why this was such a bad idea, she grabbed Salvatore’s arm and tugged him into the room, slamming the door behind him.

Salvatore lifted his brows in wary surprise. “Harley?”

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” she demanded, pushing him against the wall and running her hands over the hard planes of his chest.

Without warning, Salvatore grasped her wrists, halting her impatient caresses.