Bound By Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #8)(51)

Later Jaelyn would question whether she was overly stressed—it had, after all, been a crazy few days and any vampire was bound to feel a little on edge—or whether it had been temporary insanity.

In that moment, however, there was no thought.

Just mindless, primitive instinct.

Grasping his face in her hands, she leaned forward to kiss him with all the raw hunger that refused to leave her in peace.

“Like this.”

Chapter 12

Ariyal reeled beneath the impact of Jaelyn’s sudden kiss.

He couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d pulled out her gun and shot him directly in the heart.

What else could you expect from a cold-blooded leech?

Death and mayhem were her specialty.

But this ...

This was white-hot, all-consuming pleasure that bypassed his brain and sent his body up in flames.

Without giving himself time to question what the hell she was playing at, he grasped her around the waist and with one motion had her tossed over his shoulder. Ignoring her startled squeak, he headed directly toward the nearby house, entering through the screened-in porch.

A few long strides led him into the kitchen with its worn linoleum and white-painted cabinets. There was a forgotten china cabinet pushed against one wall and a matching table in the center of the floor.

A nice, sturdy walnut table.

With a flare of anticipation he kicked aside the chair blocking his path; then, leaning forward, he rolled Jaelyn off his shoulder and seated her on the edge of the table, tugging her legs apart so he could step between them.

His hands remained on her slender hips as he at last allowed his gaze to shift to the pale beauty of her face.

He’d half expected to find her fangs exposed and her eyes flashing with the cold promise of death.

Jaelyn was not the sort of woman a man went all caveman on.

Not if he wanted to keep his heart beating in his chest.

But while her expression was cold and diamond hard, she couldn’t disguise the hunger that smoldered in the depths of her indigo eyes.

He might not know why she insisted on being near him, but he did know she wanted him.

Even if the stubborn female would rather slice out her own tongue rather than admit it.

As if to prove his point she gave a toss of her head, placing her hands flat on the table so she could lean back to meet his heated gaze with a pretense of indifference.

“Do you feel better now you got to play macho man?” she demanded.

A slow, wicked smile curved his lips as he reached to grasp the stretchy fabric of her barely there top. With one ruthless tug he had it over her head and lying on the floor.

“Not yet, but I intend to feel much, much better.”

“Careful, fairy,” she hissed, her fangs suddenly visible. “I’ve killed men for less.”

He didn’t doubt the threat, but he was filled with a strange sense of reckless need.

In the distance he knew that Tearloch waited along with who knew how many of the Dark Lord’s minions to protect the child. There seemed a damned good chance he was going to die before the night was over.

For now he wanted to drown in his aching need for this woman.

“You started this, poppet,” he reminded her, his voice thick as his gaze lowered to the proud thrust of her br**sts. “Are you just a tease or do you have the balls to finish it?”

Her expression became wary although her fangs remained fully extended. Insanely the sight of them was hot as hell.

“I didn’t start anything. I kissed you to try and keep you from storming off in a huff.”

His gaze narrowed. No. Hell no. She wasn’t going to hide behind a pretense of duty.

Not this time.

“What do you care if I storm off in a huff, Jaelyn?” He trailed a finger down the curve of her throat.

She shivered, her eyes darkening with the same craving the pulsed deep inside him.

“I don’t care.”

“I think you do.” His finger continued downward, tracing the curve of her breast. “Why else would you follow me? It’s obvious you can’t bear to be away from me.”

Ariyal watched the emotions that flitted over Jaelyn’s delicate features. Outrage, wariness, and ... fear?

Her tongue darted out to touch her lower lip, sending a shock wave of need through Ariyal and making him forget her odd reaction.

He had walked away from Jaelyn in the meadow, determined to leave her behind. Didn’t he have enough troubles without adding a beautiful female who made a sport of trampling his manhood?

Now any desire to be alone with his seething anger was seared away by the intoxicating scent of woman and cool, satin skin beneath his searching finger.

“You arrogant ...” She hissed as his fingers found the tip of her breast, tugging the nipple to a hard peak.

“You like that?” He growled deep in his throat as he continued to torment her nipple. He was already fully aroused, his erection pressing painfully against the zip of his jeans. “Tell me, Jaelyn. Tell me what you want.”

Her lips parted as she tilted back her head to meet his hooded gaze.

“Sanity,” she muttered. “Unfortunately it seems in short supply.”

She was right.

There were a thousand perfectly rational reasons why this was all kinds of a bad idea. But as he moved forward, pressing the hard width of his c**k to the juncture of her spread legs, he couldn’t think of a damned one.