Fear the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #9)(33)

“Why would you want to acquire a taste for something that costs a fortune?” Cassie asked as he settled on a stool next to her.

He shrugged. “Because it costs a fortune.”

“I may have just crawled out of a cave, but even I know that’s stupid.”

“Maybe.” He watched as she picked up a slice, studying the chunks of sausage and mushrooms. “Be careful, it’s hot.”

She leaned forward, taking a small bite as Caine watched. Her teeth sank into the cheese and sauce, her eyes closing in pleasure. “Mmmm.”

He chuckled, attacking his own food with gusto. He’d expended energy at an alarming rate. First to fight off the damned curs and then to heal his wounds. He needed serious calories to regain his full strength.

“I take it that the pizza meets with your approval?” he asked between bites.

She demolished her first slice and chewed her way through another. “Much better than the wine.”

“Wait until you taste my famous lava cake.”

“Lava?”

“Molten chocolate paradise.”

She popped the last of the pizza in her mouth and shoved the plate away. “It sounds delicious, but not tonight.”

“Hold still.” He leaned sideways to brush his thumb over her lower lip. “You have cheese right . . .”

He forgot what he was going to say. Hell, he forgot how to think as the feel of her lush lip sent a blaze of heat through his body.

Dammit.

He’d struggled so hard to leash his driving lust for this female. He wanted to be noble. Chivalrous. Cassie was all that mattered, and he wanted to do what was right for her. Even if it meant denying what he desired with every breath, with every beat of his heart.

With every fiber of his being.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t get his body on board with the whole Dudley Do-Right plan. It wanted to knock the plates aside and take her right there on the breakfast bar.

Or against the fridge . . .

Or...

As if to add to his torment, Cassie parted her lips to suck his thumb into the warm wetness of her mouth. He jerked, feeling like he’d just been struck by lightning.

“Cassie, don’t,” he breathed.

She nibbled the tip of his thumb, her eyes darkening with a desire that pulsed deep inside him.

“Why not?”

Yeah, why not?

His entire body clenched in agony as he struggled to think past his painful erection.

A tug—just one little tug—and she’d been in his lap, her legs spread wide and her innocence his for the taking.

“We have to talk,” he hissed between clenched teeth.

She shook her head, leaning so close he could feel the heat from her skin. A scalding promise of lavender temptation. “I don’t want to talk.”

“Cassie, listen to me.” He reached to grasp her shoulders, hanging on to the last shreds of coherent thought. “I can’t protect you from the vampire.”

“You already did.”

“We both know that was nothing but shithouse luck.” His lips twisted with regret. Some hero he was turning out to be. “Christ, I led you straight into the trap.”

“We couldn’t possibly have known that the vampire could shape-shift.” She lifted her hands to skim them down the bare skin of his arms in a soothing motion. “Or appear and disappear.”

“All the more reason for you to be protected by your sister and their mates,” he forced himself to admit, trying to disguise his bitterness. What did it matter if he couldn’t be the one to protect her? So long as she was safe, he should be satisfied. “They could make sure that you’re surrounded by enough guards to keep away any danger.”

She shook off his hands, which held her at a crucial distance, leaning forward until they were nose to nose. “No.”

He shuddered, becoming lost in the drowning emerald of her eyes. “Dammit, why do you have to be so stubborn?”

“I’m not being stubborn, Caine,” she said softly, her hands shifting to frame his face. “I had a foretelling.”

And that was that.

He bit back his protest as his heart sank to his toes. Did he want to be the one protecting Cassie? Hell, yeah. Was the future of the world more important than his pride? Hell, yeah.

How was he supposed to keep her safe when he didn’t have a clue how to stop the vampire and his trio of doom from attacking whenever they felt the urge?

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Did this foretelling happen to mention some magical means to keep us from becoming leech food?”

She brushed her lips over his mouth. “No. But we have to return to your lair in Chicago.”

As far as foretellings went, it could be worse, he wryly conceded. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he were expected to haul her to the nearest hell dimension and fight off an entire army of demons.

An unnerving shiver of premonition inched down his spine and with a curse, Caine shoved aside all thoughts of looming foretellings, of vamps with crazy-ass abilities, and traitorous curs.

Just for a few minutes he wanted to be a man alone with the female who set him on fire.

“Now?” he rasped, spanning her waist with his hands.

“No.” She gave a small shriek as he lifted her to set her on the edge of the bar. Then a slow smile of anticipation curled her lips. “Soon, but not tonight.”