Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity #5)(81)

“You think this was a pity f**k?” she gritted.

He flinched at her blunt words. “Don’t.”

“What? You’re the one who’s implying I’m willing to barter my body for a bit of comfort. Real nice.”

“Then why?”

“Does there have to be a reason?”

“No, it could be exactly as you said…” He deliberately paused, then with an exaggerated motion he rolled off her and stood beside the bed. “A mindless coupling to relieve a physical urge. Maybe I should be grateful you didn’t decide Tane would do.”

Scrambling off the mattress, Regan jerkily pulled on her clothes, covertly watching as Jagr did the same. Her stomach did a funny flop as he slid the stone-washed jeans up the powerful muscles of thighs and over his butt. Holy crap. She wanted to spend hours exploring those hard angles and planes.

No, stop that, Regan.

Jagr might be all that was yummy, but he was going to drive her to a loony bin.

Frowning, she watched as Jagr pulled on a black T-shirt that molded to his perfect chest, and bent down to tug on a pair of heavy black boots. Still ignoring her, he collected his daggers and efficiently strapped them to various parts of his body.

“Dammit, Jagr,” she growled.

He tucked a handgun in the waistband of his jeans. “I think we’ve said all that needs to be said.”

“God, you’re a pain in the ass.” Throwing her hands in the air, she stormed to stand directly before him. “Fine. I came down here because I was worried about you.”

“So it was a pity…”

She’d slammed her hand across his mouth before he could throw her words back into her face.

“I came down here because I was worried, but that’s not the reason I seduced you.”

Reaching up, he tugged her hand from his lips, his thumb absently rubbing a tender circle on her inner wrist.

“Are you going to tell me why?”

“Because I needed to be with you,” she muttered awkwardly. Christ. She didn’t do confessionals. They made her feel like a cheap extra on As the World Turns. “And it had to be you. Just you. Nobody else.” She shook her head as his lips parted. “Don’t freaking ask me why, because I don’t know.”

Bending his head, he stroked his lips over the pulse hammering in her inner wrist.

“If you need me, then the thought of visiting my lair shouldn’t send you into a panic.”

A renewed sense of alarm had her tugging her hand free so she could step back.

“It wouldn’t have if you hadn’t mentioned that whole mate thing.”

He searched her tight expression. “Are you afraid I intend to trap you?”

“I just…” She wrapped her arms around her waist, unable to find the words for her unease. “Are you certain?”

“Certain?”

“About me being your mate?”

“You don’t carry my mark yet, but yes, I’m certain.”

She shook her head, telling herself it was all some cosmic mistake. This large, beautiful, incredibly sexy predator deserved a mate who could offer untarnished, unconditional devotion. Not a screwed-up Were who was torn between fleeing in utter terror, and a breathless dread of never seeing him again.

“How can it even be possible? I mean, we’ve done nothing but argue since we met.”

“One of fate’s little jokes, no doubt.”

Ridiculously, she felt a prick of disappointment at his mocking tone.

“You don’t sound particularly happy.”

“Should I be?” He planted his fists on his hips, the movement stretching the shirt over his massive chest. “After centuries of being alone, I at last find the female destined to be my mate, and she has commitment issues. Forgive me for not jumping for joy.”

She tilted her chin, although her gaze kept straying down to the enticing ripple of muscle beneath that damned shirt.

Hey, she might be a demon, but she was all female.

Who wouldn’t be distracted?

“I don’t have issues, I just…”

Golden brows arched as she struggled to find the words. “Yes?”

“I’m just not ready to think about the future.”

“You’ve found Culligan. What else do you have to think about but the future?”

She latched onto the first thing that came to mind. “My sister for one thing.”

He frowned. “Darcy?”

“No, the one being held captive by Caine.” She met his exasperated gaze with a tight smile. “I think we might have a means to track her.”

Levet was not a happy gargoyle.

He’d come to Hannibal to rescue Regan from the clutches of the evil imp. He was supposed to be the hero who won the fair damsel and was celebrated among the demon-world.

Instead, he’d not only lost the girl to yet another devious vampire, but he was now stuck playing babysitter to a bad-tempered cur who couldn’t decide if he wanted to be a good or bad guy.

Where was the justice in that?

And to top it off, he was stuck in a cramped fishing cabin that was nearly hidden in a tangle of trees, waiting for Salvatore to make an appearance at dawn.

Kicking a stray rock, Levet negotiated the narrow trail that ran along the Mississippi River.